The Dragon and His Girl
by Akahime88
Summary: He has lived for a century waiting for her, but now that he found her, can the dragon protect his fated one from the dangers of being his? NaLu GaLe LyVia
1. Prologue

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Prologue**_

The Heartfilia Konzern was in flames. The firefighters did their best to control the fire so they could go in and rescue the family but the flames were relentless. They were getting desperate.

"C'mon," a firefighter muttered as he continuously sprayed water on the burning house. "Just die down a little so we can go in."

The house staff of the Heartfilia Konzern who were able to get out before the fire got worse were gathered together in despair.

"Madam Layla, Master Jude and princess Lucy…" a maid sobbed.

"Let me go inside! I'm going to save them!" Three police men were trying to hold off a guard of the Heartfilia Konzern. "It is my job to protect Lucy! I swore to protect her!"

"The fire is too strong. Going in there will be suicide!"

The guard fell on his knees in hopelessness. The rest watched him in sympathy, their own hearts breaking for the kind-hearted Heartfilia family that treated them well. A family as generous and loving as them did not deserve this.

The guard, who was struggling just a while ago suddenly perked up, his eyes filled with hope. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" A police man asked, looking around.

"A child crying," the guard answered.

Everybody froze, straining to hear anything besides the fire cackling and the sound of water.

"I can't he- it's true!" A firefighter's eyes widened when he too heard it. "The daughter is alive, we have to save her."

"But Macao sir-" another started to protest.

"We don't have time to waste," he cut off, pouring two pails of water over himself. "Spray water on the entrance before I go in."

The others nodded, doing as he instructed. After they did, he quickly ran inside, the heat instantly surrounding him. He listened as the cries continued, following its direction. He let his instincts lead him.

Finally he saw the tiny girl, standing in the middle of the flames. She was holding a ragged doll in her arms as she cried for her mother and father. Running to her, he scooped the sobbing child into his arms protectively.

"Don't cry little girl, I'll get you out of here." Moving quickly, he avoided a burning piece of wood that fell down. He made his way back from where he entered. He was so focused on saving the girl and himself that he didn't question how he managed to, despite the raging flames.

"They made it!"

Everybody let out a breath of relief when he walked out with the girl. The medics immediately jumped into action, grabbing the little girl to check on her. They dragged him as well to check on the damage he acquired. He may not have felt it then because of the adrenaline rush, but he could surely feel it now.

After ten minutes, Macao's arms and neck were wrapped in bandages. They weren't anything serious, just a few scratches and burns. He had been lucky this time.

"Thank you for saving her." It was the little girl's guard. "If it weren't for you…"

Macao shook his head. "It was you who first heard her cry. If you didn't, none of us would have noticed. How is she?"

"She's okay. She was in shock, and she wouldn't stop crying. The medics had to sedate her so they could treat her properly. Surprisingly, she only had a few scratches. The medics said it was a miracle."

Macao silently agreed, but before he could reply, a police officer came up to them.

"I'm Officer Nab Lasaro," he introduced formally. "Kageyama, correct?"

The guard nodded.

"We would like to take your statement. If you could please follow me." Officer Nab walked off with Kageyama following him.

* * *

Makarov was in Rome when he received the news about the Heartfilia family from his son, Ivan. The Heartfilia family were very close with theirs. Jude and Layla were good friends with Ivan, and Laxus, his ten year old grand son, treated their daughter Lucy like his own sister. When Ivan told him that only Lucy survived, and that she didn't have any relatives, his heart clenched.

"I know it's a great risk- she's human and- Jude and Layla- they would want her to grow up normally- but I- we can't just leave her alone. It's not right."

He knew what Ivan was trying to say, and he didn't hesitate.

"We'll take care of Lucy, Ivan," he told his son. "Jude and Layla would have done the same thing for Laxus if it happened to us."

Without second thoughts, Makarov took the first flight he could get to fly back to Magnolia.

* * *

xxx

 _Note: Sorry not much happening here, you'll know more in the next chapters. Let me know what you think. Reviews are appreciated._


	2. Chapter 1

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter One**_

Lucy was a special girl.

When Makarov explained to her that her mother and father died in the fire, she shook her head furiously.

"The fire protected me," she stated, her eyes, although lonely, shone with honesty. "The bad men killed my mama and papa. They tried to kill me too but the fire protected me."

He didn't understand what she meant by the fire protecting her. But he realized that the fire was no accident and that Jude and Layla were murdered. And that they wanted to kill Lucy as well. When he asked her if she knew who the bad men were, she shook her head sadly.

Later that evening, he and his son discussed the things they found out from Lucy.

"She's in danger," Ivan said, once they were in his meeting room. "Jude and Layla were good people. I don't understand why anyone would want to kill them."

Makarov was puzzled as well. "Probably a business rival. Have you checked their will?"

"Yes, I talked to the lawyer. Everything is named after Lucy and in the instant that she dies too, everything will go to all charities in Fiore in equal portions."

"That makes no sense. What would they gain from killing the Heartfilia family?"

"They probably didn't know about the will," Ivan said with a shrug. "I'm more concerned with what she said about the fire."

"Me too," Makarov sighed, leaning back on his seat. "She had no reason to lie, but she could've been just imagining things. Maybe something started the fire and the men had to leave before they could kill her?"

Ivan thought about it for a while. "Possibly. We need to keep her safe."

"Everybody knows that the girl is in our protection now. They would think twice before crossing us."

Ivan smirked. "And Laxus would surely electrocute anyone who hurts her. He's always been protective of her."

"That's reassuring," Makarov said with a smirk of his own.

It wasn't three months after that that Makarov had finally understood what she meant about the fire protecting her.

It was during Laxus' training. They were in the forest under the premise of a camping trip. They took Lucy with them, not wanting to leave her unprotected. Laxus was insistent as well, saying that she needed to get out of the house. They brought with them Kageyama, her guard, and her maid, Virgo. Lucy had wanted all the surviving staff of Heartfilia Konzern to stay with her and Makarov respected her wish.

Kageyama and Virgo was tasked to watch over Lucy while Makarov and Laxus train.

"Now concentrate and cut that tree into half in one strike," Makarov instructed, pointing to a huge tree.

Laxus did as he was told, gathering all his energy and releasing it in one lightning strike. He failed to cut it in half but there was a long, deep wound on the trunk of the tree.

"Again," Makarov said sternly.

Laxus attempted several more times, until they heard a scream.

Alarm coursed through Makarov as he watched little Lucy, at a distance, running to them desperately. Behind her, on her trail, was a wild bear.

"Lucy!" Laxus was quick to run to her rescue. Makarov did as well. He watched in horror as she tripped, watched as the bear's claw came down on her, watched as she stared up at the bear in terror. He also watched as red flames surrounded her body before the claws could reach her, and he watched as the flames burned the bear's body to a crisp.

"What the-" Laxus was stupefied. So was Makarov. For a moment, neither could move in shock.

Lucy burst out crying, snapping them out of their daze. Laxus moved first, running over to the little girl to pick her up.

Makarov walked to them, still stunned by what he witnessed. When they went back to their camp, they found a wounded Kageyama and a bruised Virgo tending to his wounds.

That was the first time Lucy had proven that she was not an ordinary human.

By continuously observing her, Makarov found out that she was extremely strong and agile as well. She would climb trees easily, jump from one branch to another and from one tree to another without difficulty. Makarov once decided to test her strength by asking her to try breaking a wooden stick they used for training. She was able to do so, albeit not easily. Still, no ordinary human child would've been able to do it. That was when they decided to train her slowly.

"What do you think she is?" Ivan asked as they watched Lucy under the tree with her drawing pad and coloring materials. With her was Laxus who was leaning against the tree, his eyes closed. "She doesn't smell like a dragon like Laxus or any type of shifter. Maybe an elemental since she can control fire?"

"Neither," Makarov replied. "I had her blood tested, she's completely human."

"A human with extraordinary powers?" Ivan questioned in amazement. "There must be more to that. I'll look into it."

"Just be careful, Ivan," Makarov warned. "Nobody should know about this. If she is indeed special, then there is a possibility that the people who killed her parents know about her. That's why they wanted to kill her."

Ivan stiffened at the thought. "I understand."

* * *

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 _Note: Soooo a little revelation here and there. What do you think? Let me know. I need to know if people actually read my work, or I'm just wasting my time writing this rubbish. Lol. Your feedback is appreciated._


	3. Chapter 2

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Two**_

 _A hundred of years ago, dragons lived peacefully together, away from the humans. They were forbidden by the gods to go to man's land. Until one day, Acnologia broke the law and went to earth land. When he returned, he took with her a girl from the village._

 _The dragon king Igneel disagreed with Acnologia's actions and chaos broke out when the rest of the dragons took sides, forcing the gods to curse them for nearly destroying earth land. The dragons' spirits were sent to the future, and infused into a chosen human's spirit who would become their host and master. The dragon and their host would live as one, as part of each other. But the gods, understanding the dragons' loneliness, took pity and granted them a mate; the person they would spend the rest of their life with, their fated one. Every dragon was granted one, except for Acnologia. That was the punishment the gods gave to him for breaking the law and taking a girl against her will._

Igneel felt it the moment his mate was born. It was like a fluttering feeling, a tug in his heart, and a flash of a scene where a baby with eyes that reminded him of honey, was being held by her mother and father. It was a joyous moment.

When he was cursed, he was sent some time in the future. He was born inside a boy named Natsu Dragneel, whose mother left him at the door step of a well-off couple who could not conceive. Natsu luckily grew up with his adoptive parents who treated him like their own blood. Years passed by, he continued to live. As Igneel's host he had stopped aging. Thus, he moved from country to country to avoid suspicion. He had lived in Italy, Australia, Russia, and Spain.

Igneel and his host was staying in France when he felt the birth of his mate. After almost a century of aimlessly living, he finally found his purpose: to find his fated one and to love and protect her for all eternity.

* * *

Natsu groaned when he looked at his map. He had been to most countries and there was no sign of this girl, Igneel's mate. It had been seventeen years of traveling and searching.

' _She's your mate too'._ Igneel said in his mind.

"Right." Natsu didn't understand the fuss about mates, but Igneel said he will feel it the moment he laid his eyes on hers. He paid no further thought about it and continued to contemplate on where he should go next. His thoughts were disturbed when his cellphone rang. It was Gajeel calling.

"Hello?"

"Natsu," the voice on the other side of the line said. Gajeel was a fellow dragon host. When they first met, they were enemies. Gajeel had been involved with the wrong people, and Natsu was tasked to clean them up. Natsu had wiped the whole organization out and beat the shit out of the metal dragon. That fight earned the respect of each other and they built an odd friendship of sorts.

"Get your ass out of France and go here in Magnolia. A lot of dragon masters are staying here. And the lightning dragon Laxus showed me a photo of a cute bunny named Lucy…"

His stomach felt weird at the mention of Lucy. He frowned. Was he hungry? No, he just had lunch and he didn't want to eat rabbits. He pondered over Gajeel's invitation. Why not? He had never been to Magnolia before. He might as well go and check out the place to look for his mate and meet the other dragon masters at the same time. It was like hitting two birds with one stone. "Okay, I'll be there two days from now."

"Gihihi, see you then."

He went back to his map, putting an x over Magnolia. Going to his room, he started packing. He had a trip to make in two days.

* * *

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 _Note: Comments? Since tomorrow is my birthday, this is my birthday treat for you. So let the birthday girl know what you think and leave reviews. Make the birthday girl happy! Lol. I'll even share with you my cake. :D_


	4. Chapter 3

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Three**_

 _Twelve Years Ago_

Darkness swarm at him, feeding on his hatred. He sat on his throne, waiting for his men to speak up. He was covered in darkness. He was nothing but darkness.

"Speak."

The two men kneeling before him glanced at each other nervously before one started to stammer and explanation. "We weren't able to g-get the girl, my lord. We killed the parents because they were on the way, but then…" There was hesitation for a while but he continued when his master tapped his feet impatiently. "W-when Alex tried to grab the girl, f-flames surrounded her body and his hand got burned a-and then the flames s-spread throughout his body till he got burned to death. W-we tried to save him but then the curtains c-caught the fire and the room started burning so we l-left."

"Oh?" The master hummed thoughtfully. With a flick of his finger, black flames surrounded the bodies of both men, eating their life away painfully. "Guess I'll have to observe first before taking any more actions."

* * *

 _Present Time_

Lucy yawned as she got up from her bed and took a quick shower.

Today was the first day of her last year in high school.

Wrapped in her robe after shower, she blow-dried her hair. When she was done, she went into her walk-in closet, changing into a pair of black skinny jeans, and a fitted red v-neck top that emphasized her 36-24-35 figure. She matched it with red flats. Standing at almost 5'7", wearing heels would mean towering over most girls so she avoided wearing them to school.

Finishing her look, she added a light blush. She usually put on her pink lip tint after eating breakfast so it would look fresh. Since she was fair-skinned, she needed to put a bit of color on her face. Satisfied, she pulled her bag from her study desk, which was readied the night before and strode out of her room.

Downstairs, in the kitchen, her close guard Loke was eating breakfast at the counter. Since she stepped into high school, Loke had been her guard. He was the same age as her, and therefore went to the same school. He wouldn't stick with her in campus to give her space, but she knew he was always watching out for her from afar. He also happened to be a lion; yes, he can turn into a lion. Besides Loke, a few of Laxus' friends were also watching over her (at Laxus' request she was sure), namely Sting and Rogue. And then there was Wendy, a freshman. All three of them could transform into dragons like Laxus. Kageyama, her other guard, and two others named Wakaba and Warren were perimeter guards. Wakaba and Warren were tigers.

Lucy hated having so many guards at first, but with the news of hunters attacking shifters everywhere, she learned to live with it. It was for her own good. She may not be a shifter but she wasn't normal either. No one was supposed to know about her powers though. She trained hard for the past 12 years to control the flames she was able to wield.

After saying good morning to Loke and Virgo, she ate the breakfast Virgo prepared for her. When she was done, Loke was waiting for her outside. This was her morning routine: she'd wake up, get ready for school, have breakfast and then Kageyama would drive Loke and her to school.

As soon as they reached school, Lucy went ahead while Loke was surrounded with girls. He was quite popular, and Lucy could see why. Loke was good-looking, and physically fit. He was also a natural redhead. His hair was the most striking part of him in her opinion. Despite that, she wasn't attracted to him. After getting her schedule, she went to her locker.

"Morning Lu-chan!" It was her best friend, Levy McGarden. Levy was a pretty, petite girl, standing at barely 5'3. She and Lucy met during her elementary days. They were both bookworms and they first bonded talking about books they've read. They've been best friends since then.

"Morning Lucy. Juvia likes Lucy's look today." Beside Levy was Juvia Lockser. She was a beautiful girl that had really pale skin. She also had this habit of talking in third person which others found weird. Lucy met her freshman year. They were classmates in her English class. She was new to town and didn't know anybody in school. Their other classmates wouldn't talk to her because her speech was odd. So Lucy sat beside her for that class, and they became quick friends. The three of them became inseparable as years passed by.

"Thanks Juvia," Lucy said with a smile.

"Did you get your schedule? Let me see what classes we have together." Levy took the schedule from her as she and Juvia checked it. "Ugh, you have so many math classes! Thankfully we have English Literature and Film Literacy together."

"Juvia has Economics and Psychology with Lucy."

"And the three of us have homeroom together. Great! Let's go."

* * *

Makarov was shaking in anger.

A whole village of shifters had been wiped out. The hunters were getting more aggressive, killing their kind all over the world. Makarov was filled with so much anger that he broke the telephone from gripping it too tight.

Even Ivan, who had been listening to the call, was gritting his teeth. "Damn hunters!"

"The attacks are getting closer to our location," Makarov noted, eyeing the map spread out on his table. "It won't be long before they target us."

"Are they aware of the dragons existence?" Ivan wondered. "So far, there's been no news of a dragon getting killed."

"They may be searching but didn't yet have the opportunity to cross paths with one," Makarov said. "Either that or they think a dragons existence is merely a myth."

"Well, they surely won't be expecting to find a town with not just one but five dragons."

Makarov shuddered. Laxus shifting into dragon form is enough to damage Magnolia. Four more would totally wipe it out, and possibly even the neighboring towns. He sincerely prayed that such time won't come.

There was a knock on the door and Laxus' head popped in. "I just wanted to inform you that another dragon master is coming to town in a few days."

Makarov and Ivan looked at each other knowingly before turning back to Laxus.

"How did you know about that Laxus?" Makarov inquired.

Laxus opened the door wider to partially let himself in the room. "He's a friend of Gajeel. They've met in Italy a few years back but he's in France now. Gajeel invited him to come visit Magnolia and meet us."

"I see," Makarov nodded in understanding. "When exactly is he arriving?"

"In two days time."

Fate have gathered the dragons together, and Makarov had a very, very bad feeling about it.

* * *

xxx

 _NOTE: Today is oficially my birthday! I feel so old now. Lol. And since you left me lots of love, I am thanking you by posting this chapter earlier than scheduled. Don't forget to review and thanks to everyone who did._


	5. Chapter 4

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Four**_

Magnolia was a beautiful place. The air was fresh and it was surrounded by nature. It was a huge difference from the cities that Natsu was used to. The hotel where he checked in was located at the central business district where all commercial structures were found. Just outside his hotel at walking distance were cafes, bars and restaurants and a mall a bit farther away. It was convenient.

Gajeel would be dropping by dinner time. It was still mid-afternoon. Tired from the long journey, he decided to take a nap.

It wasn't until two hours later that he woke up from his slumber, another hour later until Gajeel picked him up. His old friend looked exactly the same with his long hair, multiple face and ears piercings, and metal accessories. His obvious love for metal wasn't surprising since he was the metal dragon. From an ordinary human's perspective, Gajeel looked like a scary thug.

"You had to choose the most expensive room huh?" Gajeel said as he went inside the suite Natsu was staying at. It had a living room and a separate room for the bedroom. He sat comfortably on the couch. "Show off."

"I'm not planning to stay long," he said nonchalantly with a shrug. "And the cost of a week stay in this room is equivalent to a day's worth of stay in the same type of room in Paris. I'm actually saving money."

"Yeah, everything is cheaper here compared to places like Paris or London. It's just a small city in a small country after all."

"How long have you been living here?"

"In Magnolia? Just a week but I've been in Fiore for two months now. Before Magnolia, I was staying in Hargeon." Gajeel stood up. "C'mon, let's continue this conversation over dinner and beer. You're paying for everything. Gihihi."

Natsu sighed. Knowing Gajeel, the guy was going to rip off a chunk of his pocket tonight.

* * *

Something was wrong. Lucy could feel dread in the pits of her stomach. She could almost smell death. Getting out of her room, she saw Makarov and Ivan with grim faces in the hallway.

"Did something happen?" she asked worriedly.

"Lucy!" Ivan exclaimed as if not expecting to see her there. "I thought you went out with Laxus."

Her face morphed into confusion. "Why would I be out with Laxus? Is he on a date without telling me- that giant oaf! But that's not important right now, what happened?"

"A group of shifters living in the north woods has been attacked," Makarov explained, his fists clenched. His tone was calm for her sake but Lucy could clearly see that he was furious. "We're going there to check-"

"I'll go," she volunteered, running to the nearest window and jumping out. "I'll be back soon."

She could hear the horrified gasps and a shout of 'Lucy!' as she ran to the direction of the woods.

* * *

Natsu was listening to Gajeel's story on how he was on his way to being a popular singer and that people loved his singing too much that they actually threw him things. "One woman actually threw me her thong!" he had exclaimed.

Hearing the metal dragon's singing first hand, Natsu doubted that people threw those things because they liked his songs. They were probably trying to kick him off stage. Yet he opted to remain silent, not wanting to piss the other dragon off. The last time Natsu insulted his vocal skills, they ended up in a brawl, nearly destroying a whole town. That had been nearly thirty years ago.

In the middle of their conversation- or more like Gajeel's babbling- three men walked up to their table, all looking intimidating, like any other dragon host. Two of them were blonde, but the other was bulkier and taller. The third one had dark hair.

"Ah you're here," Gajeel said, waving to the three men. "This is my friend, Natsu. And that's Laxus, Sting and Rogue." He pointed to the bulky blond first, then the other blond and finally the dark-haired one.

Natsu nodded in acknowledgement as Gajeel introduced their names. "Take a seat and join us. It's not everyday that five dragon masters come together to have a drink."

* * *

Lucy took a deep breath, catching the stench of blood and death. She was almost there. In the distance, she could already see the small village. Her legs ran faster, but she wasn't prepared for what she was about to see. Her knees almost buckled from the sight that greeted her. Blood was everywhere. Dead bodies lay scattered on the ground- men, women and kids alike. It was a gruesome scene.

"He's alive! Hang on, we'll help you."

"We need a medic over here!"

Makarov's medics were bustling, trying to save lives. Others were looking for survivors, some were picking up the dead bodies. In the corner, Loke had two kids with him. He looked helpless as the children cried.

"I'll watch over them," she said to her guard. "Go."

He looked surprised to see her, but flashed a grateful smile. "Thanks, I'm counting on you."

She went down on her knees and gathered both children in her arms, gently rubbing their backs as they cried. Her heart ached, knowing very well the pain of losing the people you love the most; of having them murdered right in front of you.

"It will be okay, you're not alone. I'm here. I promise to protect you." Just like the children crying, she allowed herself to sob quietly for her dead parents and for all the lives she couldn't save.

"We need to check you for wounds," she told them softly when they calmed down a few moments later. She was getting up on her feet when she felt an ominous feeling behind her.

 _Above._ Holding both children on the waist, she picked them up and leaped three times backwards, just barely dodging the sharp knives thrown at her, hitting the ground instead.

"Show yourself!" Lucy yelled angrily. Behind her was the camp the medics had set up. All injured survivors were there. She had to protect them.

"Lucy," Loke immediately rushed to her, eyes scanning for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, handing the children- who had started crying again- to him. She turned to the medics. "Don't stop working! You have lives to save."

"What are you-" Before Loke could even finish his protest, she had ran, picking up two knives on the ground before jumping to a tree, the sounds of knives clashing and a male hunter came out from his hiding spot with Lucy after his head.

* * *

xxx

 _Note: Sorry for the constant shift of scene. I wanted to show what Lucy and Natsu were both doing before they met. Yay or nay? Tell me what you think._


	6. Chapter 5

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Five**_

"I have to go." Laxus stood up abruptly, his expression darkened.

"What? Why? Did I say something wrong?" Sting asked in panic. He was the one sharing stories before Laxus had stood up.

"No. There was an attack on one of the shifters village nearby. I have to go help."

"Are you kidding?" Gajeel burst out and Laxus was about to get pissed off but the next statement stopped him. "Of course we'll go with you."

Sting and Rogue nodded firmly, Natsu merely took a sip of his drink. "Let's go then." Natsu stood up as well.

* * *

Natsu was feeling uneasy as he raced through the woods. He chose to stay at the back, right behind everybody as they ran. Igneel wasn't helping at all. In fact the dragon was making it worse, pacing back and forth in his mind and feeling restless. Igneel was ranting incoherent words, and he barely managed to catch a few of them.

 _Bad feeling. Danger. Mate. Enemy. Mate. Save. Hurry._

Confused, he tried his best to ignore his dragon and focused on the situation at hand. A group of hunters attacked a small village of shifters living peacefully in the woods. That didn't sit well with him. The thought infuriated him. He was a warrior of justice. Finally in view of the village, he could see two figures fighting.

"Woah it's bunny!" Gajeel pointed. Natsu's brows furrowed in confusion. What bunny?

"Is that Lucy?!" Sting blurted out in a mixture of horror and surprise when he saw the figures as well. "Is she trying to get herself killed?"

Laxus cursed under his breath as he sped up, the rest following him. Laxus was worried, but not of Lucy losing the fight. His sister was strong, she could even hold her own against him, a dragon. He was more worried about her revealing her fire power. He couldn't let that happen. It was too risky. If hunters found out, she'd be a target.

On the other side, Natsu clenched his jaws. The closer they got to the village, the noisier Igneel had become in his mind. The dragon was giving him a headache. He opted to watch the fight instead. It was a battle between a guy and a girl. The girl must be the Lucy that Sting had mentioned. When Gajeel mentioned her, Natsu thought Lucy was a real bunny. He didn't expect to see a beautiful, young female fighter. Now that he thought about it, he didn't like it that Gajeel was calling her bunny. Pushing the feeling aside, he focused on Lucy.

She was a great fighter: graceful, quick and sure in her movements. He watched in fascination as she finally moved in the offensive after being on defense mode for a while to study her opponents moves. She landed a punch to the enemy's face, followed by a kick. The enemy staggered to his feet, before recovering, quickly retaliating with a punch of his own that she managed to dodge and threw an elbow to the back of his head, smashing his face on the ground and ultimately knocking him out.

"Wow, she looked like she was merely toying with him," Rogue noted, impressed. True enough, when they stopped a few steps away from the scene, Natsu could see the tiny smirk on her lips.

"What the hell Laxus? Why didn't you tell us that your sister can fight?"

Laxus frowned. "I never said she couldn't. And you never asked."

"It was implied when you asked us to watch over her." Sting huffed.

"She may know how to fight but she's still just human," Laxus retorted.

"Yeah, just a human that can kick a hunter's ass," Gajeel added with a snicker.

Lucy got up, brushing dirt away from her knees and clothes. That was when Natsu noticed what she was wearing: shorts that was just enough to cover her round ass and a tank top that showed a bit of cleavage. She was hot, Natsu could see that much. Ignoring Igneel's babbling at the back of his mind- the poor dragon had been trying to catch his attention for a while now- Natsu took in Lucy's long blond hair tied in a pony tail, her smooth ivory skin, the spot between her neck and shoulders that he found utterly alluring… As if feeling his eyes on her, she glanced up at him, brown orbs meeting his. At that moment, it felt like time stood still. He was getting sucked in; as if everything around him disappeared and there was only him and her. His heart was pounding, he couldn't breathe and Igneel was doing a happy dance in his mind.

"Mate," they breathed out at the same time.

* * *

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 _Note: And they meet! So? Whadya think guys? Leave me a review or no cookie for you._


	7. Chapter 6

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Six**_

Lucy had successfully knocked out the hunter without earning a single scratch. She intentionally didn't kill him so he could be taken as prisoner for questioning. Maybe they would be able to torture a few details out of him.

After smashing his face to the ground, Lucy stood up to wipe the dirt off her knees and hands. She could sense Laxus and a few other dragon hosts to her left- three she was familiar with, two she did not recognize . Her brother's presence was the reason she ended the battle quickly. She wanted to play a little but if Laxus would see her doing that, he'd probably scold her until her eardrums hurt.

There was a tingling sensation on her neck, making her look up to where Laxus and his friends were standing. She was met with the sight of a stranger.

A very fine stranger, she might dare say.

Her breath caught in her throat when her eyes met his onyx ones. They were filled with awe and something akin to… affection? They stared deeply into hers, reaching to her soul, tugging at her heart, at her very being. Something stirred within her, like a part of her that has been sleeping soundly was now being awakened. That part of her recognized who the man was.

"Mate," the words slipped from her mouth before she could even stop it. The bigger part of her was bewildered. She had no idea what was happening, but the other part of her, a small but strong part of her, accepted everything.

He was right in front of her now. She didn't even realize when he stepped in closer to her. His hand moved to cup her cheeks softly, causing sparks to fly.

"So this is how it feels like to meet your mate," he murmured, totally amazed.

"Okay, stop right there before you start eating each other's faces," Laxus butted in, completely ruining the moment. "Hands off my sister! Keep a meter distance at all times!"

Lucy's face turned beet red, Sting and Rogue chortled, and Laxus acted like a wall between her and her so-called mate.

"Natsu you lucky bastard," the other dragon that Lucy didn't recognize, walked over to Natsu and hit him in the back.

She turned to Laxus, her thoughts in disarray. She had so many questions she didn't know where to begin. She sighed instead. "I'm so confused right now."

"For now, let's bring in this hunter. And then the old man can explain things to you." Laxus said, referring to Makarov. He turned to Natsu. "As for you, no playing hide the salami with my sister while I'm around and until she turns eighteen."

Lucy choked. "Hide the- what?!"

The rest of the guys were too busy snickering to answer her.

* * *

Makarov and Ivan were in the living room when Lucy and Laxus came home, with Natsu. The other dragons volunteered to stay back for a while, just in case hunters would attack again.

Lucy entered the house with a grin. "I brought you a present!" She pointed to the unconscious hunter that Laxus was carrying like a sack of potatoes. "It's one of the hunters that attacked. I was thinking that maybe we can squeeze a few details out of him when he wakes up."

"Take him to the chamber," Makarov commanded. "I'll deal with him tomorrow."

The chamber was an underground prison slash torture chamber. Laxus walked off with Ivan behind him.

"You must be Natsu," Makarov said with a warm smile to the newcomer. "I am Makarov, Laxus' grandfather."

Natsu nodded with a small bow. "Pleased to meet you. I'd like to discuss something if that's okay. Lucy needs to be there too."

There was mild surprise on Makarov's face before he nodded. "Let's go to my office then."

"You have a lovely home," Natsu commented, looking around as they made their way to the office.

"Thank you. This is mostly Lucy's doing. Before she came in this house, there were only men here. My wife has been dead for decades and Laxus' mother died when he was born. With no female touch, this house was a pigsty." Makarov chuckled, his eyes clouded with memories. "When we took Lucy in, we hired female maids so she wouldn't be just around men. Her first day here, she had all my men wrapped around her pinky finger. They used to brawl around a lot, but one time Lucy saw them and tried to run in the middle to stop them. She was crying, telling them to stop hurting each other because you're not supposed to hurt your friends. Nobody fought again after that."

"I remember that," Lucy giggled at the memory. "They stopped fighting when I'm around, but they still do when they think I'm not looking."

"We're here," Makarov said stopping in front of a huge door and opening it. "Come in."

Natsu stepped inside the huge room. There were tall shelves filled with books.

"That's a lot of books," he remarked, impressed.

"Yes, living for centuries has its perks. Have a seat you two." Makarov said, as he settled on the couch. Natsu and Lucy sat beside each other across him. "So what is it that you want to discuss?"

"I won't beat around the bush. Lucy here is my mate."

Makarov's face was blank as he looked from Natsu to Lucy. "Is this true, Lucy?"

Lucy clasped her hands together nervously, swallowing a lump in her throat. "If that means feeling a strong connection with him, then yes."

"I see." Makarov leaned back on his seat. "That explains some things."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked confusedly.

"Lucy is human but her strength is not," Makarov clarified. "She can also wield flames. It all makes sense now. It is very rare but when the gods pair shifters with human mates, the gods bless the human mates with strength to protect themselves until the day their paths would cross. The stronger the shifter, the stronger the human mate. Since Lucy can wield flames, I am assuming you're an alpha of sort?"

Natsu's eyes turned blood red as his dragon took over. "I am Igneel, king of the dragons."

"Thought so." Makarov simply replied, taking out his pipe and lighting it up. He needed a smoke badly.

There was silence before Lucy spoke up hesitantly. "So- so I have this power because I was meant to be the dragon king's mate?"

"Yes."

"So this makes me a target right? The reason they made me powerful was to make sure I can protect myself because a lot of enemies would be after my life."

Makarov sighed, but his eyes were filled with pride. "You're too smart for your own good."

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Natsu promised, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Your mate is your other half, your soulmate, your destined one. When my mate died, a part of me also died. If it wasn't for Ivan, I would have followed her shortly. Ivan became my reason for living. It was the same when Ivan's mate died. Laxus was his motivation to continue living. And then you came and we were given one more reason to live a long life." Makarov chuckled.

"You better," she muttered lowly.

"What I'm saying is, if anybody wants to bring the dragon king down, all they need to do is get to you." Makarov continued, shifting uncomfortably.

Lucy gasped, her heart pounding at the realization. "Because killing me would be killing him as well."

Natsu growled angrily at the thought of anyone hurting his mate. His grip on Lucy's hand tightened. "If anybody even dared to put a scratch on her, I'll burn them to ashes."

* * *

xxx

 _Note: I'm honestly struggling. I mean, I have the whole plot and storyline, but the conversation and scenarios are getting harder to write. But I am already a few chapters ahead than what I post here and I make sure to always write something everyday. I need some inspiration! I can't even write a proper cute and romantic scene. It sucks! Ugh. Help! Anyway, reviews will help me from going insane so pls leave one. Thank you!_

 _PS: I am excited for Laxus' overprotective brother mode. Teehee. Soon. It's a bonus chapter. Lol_


	8. Chapter 7

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Seven**_

"If anybody even dared to put a scratch on her, I'll burn them to ashes."

Lucy's heart skipped a beat at Natsu's declaration. His voice and face was filled with so much determination, with a promise so true that she couldn't help but look at him in admiration. He was an amazing guy, she could tell.

"I know it's tradition that Lucy should go with you, but she is much safer here, surrounded by shifters- five of which are your kind."

Lucy felt her heart drop at the thought of leaving. Was he going to take her away? She wanted to stay here in Magnolia.

He turned to her questioningly. "Would you like to stay here? Or would you want to move somewhere else? Wherever you want is fine."

She blinked in surprise. He was asking her? He was giving her a choice? She admired him even more now. "I'd like to stay," she said shyly. "I want to finish school. We can move after I graduate?"

He gave her a breathtaking smile. "Sounds good. But you'll have to stay with me."

Lucy thought for a moment. She turned to Makarov who was watching them, looking nostalgic. "Is it okay if he stays here instead Gramps? We have plenty of rooms."

"Of course Lucy," Makarov smiled gently. "It's best if you stay here, Natsu. I'll have a room prepared for you."

Natsu nodded gratefully. "Thank you. I have to go to the hotel to get my things. I'll be back."

Lucy panicked at the thought of him being away from her. She didn't understand why. Her hand held his tight, refusing to let him go. "Why do I feel like I don't want to be away from you?"

Natsu chuckled. "It's the bond. Since it's new, it's going to want us to always be close to each other."

"Will it get better?" This mating thing was turning her into a clingy person.

"Not until I mark you, but let's not talk about that right now. I need to get my things, and since you're not letting go of my hand, you might as well come with me." He was obviously teasing her. She blushed, about to pull her hand away but he stopped her, entwining his fingers with hers. "C'mon."

Lucy could only watch in awe as she followed him out the room. She couldn't wait to know more about her mate.

 _Her mate._ She secretly smiled. It didn't sound so bad.

* * *

When Natsu and Lucy left the office, Laxus and Ivan came in shortly after, both with troubled expressions.

"Natsu will be staying with us indefinitely," Makarov told them. "I had a guest room prepared for him."

Upon hearing the news, both men looked relieved.

"Does that mean she's staying?" Ivan asked hopefully. Lucy was like his own daughter. It would be sad to see her leave. He wasn't quite ready to give her away yet.

Makarov nodded, and there was a chorus of relieved sighs. "Natsu, he is a good man. He made her decide, treated her like his equal. While I'm not happy with the fact that she is the dragon king's mate because of the dangers that come with it, I know Natsu will protect her."

"Lucy is all grown up now," Ivan said, comically trying to hold back his tears. "I'm so proud of what she has become."

Laxus awkwardly patted his father's back, unsure whether to laugh or be horrified at his dramatics. But then again, Ivan had always wanted a daughter and he found it in Lucy. She was this lively ball of sunshine that constantly brightened even their darkest days. Even the toughest warrior would become a softie when it came to her.

Laxus smiled faintly at the memory of their first meeting. He was six year old and she was just a newborn. His younger self had been so scared to touch her because she looked too delicate. When he commented that she looked like she could easily be hurt, Layla had told him to grow up and be strong so that he could protect her. Their families were very close and Layla and Jude were like second parents to him. When they died, Laxus made an oath on their graves to always take care of Lucy. He had been keeping his promise for the past years.

Laxus crossed his arms. The thought of Lucy being a dragon's mate made him uneasy. And not just any dragon, but the dragon king himself. He didn't go through all the trouble of scaring guys away all this time only for her to end up as the dragon king's mate. He sighed. He didn't like it but as someone who has a mate out there, he respected it. The gods have good reasons to bring two people together. Still, that didn't mean his brotherly instincts would just stay back and watch. Oh no, he promised to protect Lucy and that included her virtue. He was pretty sure Jude would, if he was alive.

He decided to change the subject. "Any news from Loke?"

"The wounded have been transferred to our hospital," Makarov said. "The unharmed survivors will stay with the west village."

"I think it is better if all shifters stay together," Ivan suggested, finally getting serious. "We can't tell when or where they'll strike next."

"Maybe the prisoner can tell us?" Laxus said. "Although there's no guarantee that he won't feed us with false information."

"We'll see what he has to say tomorrow," Makarov agreed. "We'll decide what to do next from there."

"Good idea. I'll be in my room if you need me." With that, Laxus walked out of the office. His bubble bath was waiting for him.

* * *

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

Natsu looked up in surprise. He was currently packing his things when she spoke up. He curiously gazed at the girl sitting on his bed. She had a sheepish expression on her pretty face.

"I just realized we haven't properly introduced ourselves."

"I'm Natsu Dragneel," he said, flashing her a small smile before he continued to place clothes on his suitcase before zipping it close.

"Is that all your things?" she asked, pointing to his small suitcase.

"Yeah, I was planning to only stay for a week," he explained, scratching his head. "I wasn't expecting to meet you here so I only brought a few clothes. Will you go shopping with me tomorrow?"

She smiled brightly, nodding eagerly. "Of course! But I'm in school until four in the afternoon."

"That's fine, we can go after. I'll pick you up after class and we can go to the mall together." He carried his suitcase in one hand and held out the other to her. She took it without hesitation, and they walked hand in hand out of the hotel and back to her home.

"You can ask me anything," Natsu said, breaking the comfortable silence.

"How old are you?"

He made a wry face, almost afraid to answer the question. Would she be disgusted if he told her the truth? "Almost a hundred years old," he finally admitted.

"Oh wow," she breathed out, genuinely impressed. Surprisingly, there was no sign of disgust from her. "You look like you're just twenty. But then again, Makarov is three hundred years old and he looks like he's just 60 something."

"Perks of being a shifter," he smirked.

She was silent for a while, looking pensive. "Am I going to be- to be like you?"

"You won't become a dragon if that's what you're worried about," he assured her. "But you will stop aging the moment we complete the mating."

"C-complete the mating?" Her whole face turned red. Judging by her reaction, his little mate was aware of the mating process. No surprise there since she grew up surrounded by shifters.

"Yup, but you don't have to worry about that. I won't mark you until you're ready." Natsu knew that in the following days, their bond will only become stronger. The more time they spent together, the harder it will be to resist the pull to complete the mating process. He sighed inwardly. The next days will surely be a test of his control.

"Your turn," she suddenly said.

"Huh?"

"To ask me a question. Ask me anything."

"Oh uhm. How old are you?"

"Seventeen," she responded. "Favorite color?"

"Black. Yours?"

She smiled meaningfully. "Pink."

Natsu stiffened as the urge to kiss her overwhelmed him. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Stop looking so adorable. It makes me want to kiss you." He continued to walk with a red-faced Lucy in tow.

* * *

xxx

 _Note: Here's a longer chapter. I hope I did well with the nalu. My next update will take a while as my Wattpad novel is my priority. I can't say when exactly buuuut just so I'll have a goal, I'd say I'll definitely update once I get 50 or so reviews. That would give me plenty of time._

 _Anyway, just a bit explanation of the human dragon concept. Remember how the gods cursed the dragons? The curse was for them to serve a master, human chosen by the gods and live with them as one. Basically, they are two different entities in one soul. Igneel has his own consciousness and identity, Natsu has his own as well. But they share one soul. If the human dies, the dragon dies, and vice versa. The human is the more dominant entity that's why they are the masters._

 _If you have any more questions just drop me a line. Thanks for reading! And reviews are loved!_


	9. Chapter 8

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Eight**_

 _Dedicated to ToastedWeirdBrain_

Lucy felt warm and comfortable as she slept through the night. Exhaling, she snuggled closer to her pillow, arms wrapping around her.

She froze. Since when did pillows have arms? Opening her eyes in a panic, pink hair was the first thing she saw. There was only one person she knew that has pink hair.

Natsu. Her mate. In her bed.

Tossing the covers aside, she quickly moved away from his embrace, falling out of bed in the process. The loud thud woke Natsu up.

"W-what are you doing h-here?" she sputtered, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Morning Lucy," he sat up yawning. "I should be the one asking you that."

"Huh?"

He stretched lazily before he looked back at her with a playful smirk. "This is my room."

"WHAT?!" True enough, when she looked around, white plain walls greeted her instead of her lavender and rose ones. Holy guacamole! How did she get there?!

"I'm so sorry," she cried out in embarrassment, running out of the room hurriedly, as his laughter echoed. Thankfully, nobody was out in the hallway when she ran back to her room. Closing the door behind her, she flopped to her bed, landing ungracefully on her stomach. This mate thing was very, very, very dangerous to her sanity.

Trying to get over the embarrassing incident, Lucy then took a quick shower. While drying her hair, she scanned her wardrobe for the perfect outfit. What was she supposed to wear? After school, she will be going to the mall with Natsu. Was it a date? Her face burned at the thought, repeatedly convincing herself that it wasn't a date. They were merely going shopping together. Ten minutes later, she finally settled on her cute denim jumper shorts over a gray fitted sleeveless shirt and a pair of black sneakers. She tied her hair on a side ponytail, applied light blush and a bit of eyeliner then grabbed her salmon shade lip tint for later.

She didn't see Natsu until she had left for school. He probably went back to sleep and she was still too shy to face him after what had happened. Pushing the thoughts aside, she prepared herself for a new day in school. She will see him in a few hours anyway, and it's something to look forward to.

* * *

"Tell me what you know," Laxus demanded, staring calmly at the prisoner chained against the wall.

The hunter remained silent. Laxus crossed his arms, as a lightning bolt shot out from his body and into the man in front of him. The dragon master watched as the hunter's eyes grew wide before shouting in pain when it hit him.

"What the… fuck… are… you?" the hunter wheezed, his breathing labored. Another bolt shot out and he screamed again.

"I think you're forgetting the position you're in," Laxus berated. "I'm the only one who gets to ask the questions. Do you understand?"

"Fuck y-" The hunter wasn't able to finish because he was screaming in pain once more.

"Do you understand?" Laxus repeated.

"Not telling you anything- AAAAHH!"

"I can do this for hours you know," Laxus said boredly. "Electrocute you until you pass out. And when you wake up, I'll do it again. You can't escape. You can't die because we'll keep you alive until you 'fess up. So I suggest you weigh your options now."

"Just kill me already."

"I'd love to. If you confess, I'll grant you a painless death," Laxus stated blankly. "I'll be back in 30 minutes. Let me know your decision then." With that, he walked away.

* * *

Classes ended soon enough and she was finally making her way out of the school building. Juvia and Levy had to go to the library to work on an assignment they had so she was alone. Passing by the football field, she saw the school team practicing. Sting immediately sensed her, glancing to where she was with a wave. Beside him, Rogue gave a curt nod when he spotted her. She smiled, waving back.

It was cute how Sting and Rogue totally contrast each other- from their physical appearance, attitude and even their dragons and yet they were best friends. Sting represented the light- lively and hot-headed. Rogue was the shadow- quiet and calm. They perfectly balanced each other out.

She continued on her way until she reached the gates. True to his promise, Natsu was waiting for her outside, looking rather attractive in a black shirt and jeans. He was leaning back against a white Audi that she didn't know he had. His arms were crossed and she could see the muscles in his arms. He was hot alright.

She had learned at a young age that male shifters were in very good physical shape, having regularly seen them train without their shirts on. Natsu wasn't bulky, but he was tall and fit and she could almost see his six pack and V line under his shirt. Yep, definitely hot.

He smirked when he caught her checking him out, enjoying the sight of a blush on her cheeks. He waited as she made her way to him, never taking his eyes off her. She was honestly the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He held out his hand, Igneel wagging his tail like a puppy in his mind when she took it with no delay. Pulling her in his arms, he took a deep breath, taking in the scent of mango nectar and hibiscus that was solely hers.

"Hi," he whispered in her ear. "I missed you."

She sighed contentedly, lithe arms wrapping around his waist. "Me too." She pulled away after a few seconds. "Did you just buy a new car?"

"Well, since I'll be staying here for a while, I thought I should get one," he said with a careless shrug. "This way, I'd be able to pick you up from school everyday."

Did he do it for her? She didn't dare ask, but the possibility alone made her happy. "We shou-" Her stomach growled. "I'm hungry."

He chuckled. "Okay, we'll eat first before shopping." Leading her to the passenger's side of the car, he opened the door for her like a true gentlemen.

"How was school?" he asked conversationally when they were both inside the car.

"School was school," she answered distractedly, too busy exploring the luxurious car. "Nothing interesting happened." She breathed in deeply. "I love the smell of a new car, and leather seats!"

He smirked in amusement at her childlike excitement as he started to drive. "Do you have somewhere specific that you want to go?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

"I was thinking of grabbing some light snacks in the mall and then have dinner after shopping? If it's okay with you?"

She nodded, not caring where to eat or what to eat, as long as she got to eat. "Yeah, sure."

Three hours later, they exit the mall, arms filled with shopping bags. Natsu apparently hated shopping, thus he decided to buy a month's worth of wardrobe so he never had to go shopping again. He insisted that she go buy things for herself as well, even offering to pay, but she politely refused. Before classes started, she already did a grand online shopping spree from her favorite brands. She mostly shopped online. It was convenient and she didn't want to go to the mall with three guards behind her.

Shopping with Natsu had been fun. He had asked her to help him and she quite enjoyed dressing him up. By the time they were done, she was surprised that three hours had gone by.

"Ready for dinner?" he asked as soon as they placed everything inside the car.

"Yeah, I'm starved."

When she realized where he was taking her, she was so happy she could almost kiss him. As soon as he parked in front of her favorite restaurant, she jumped out, not even waiting for him to open the door for her.

It was a restaurant called Pegasus and served the best Italian dishes in the city. When her parents were still alive, they would take her there during Sundays. The place held good memories.

"Are you okay?" he asked concernedly when she zoned out, just staring at the place.

She nodded. "My parents used to take me here when they were still alive. I have a lot of fun memories in this place."

He held out his hand with a boyish grin. "Let's make more fun memories then."

Staring at his hand, she realized that no matter what happened, she would be taking this hand, wherever it may lead her. She would always be holding this hand. Always.

"Let's," she agreed with a gleeful smile, reaching out to take it.

* * *

xxx

 _Note: I'd be dedicating chapters to my avid reviewers from now on. So if you review please leave a name. Hehe._

 _So about mate bonds... The attraction is instant, but love is not. They may be predestined, but completing the bond would be a choice, so is falling in love. For shifters, the bond is very strong, especially for those with higher ranks, like Natsu. But they are better in controlling it as well. For a human mate like Lucy, she would still feel it but not as strong. So if Lucy gets clingy, just imagine the torture for Natsu._

 _I'll be on vacation and will be back next week. Don't forget to review. Thanks to everyone who always do. You rock!_


	10. Chapter 9

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Nine**_

 _Dedicated to TigerArrowgirl_

Laxus stood in front of the prisoner, watching as the man kept his eyes on the ground. He was about to ask if a decision has been made, but the hunter beat him to it.

"The Hunters Association is composed of talented humans trained in combat to be able to gain the skills necessary to kill off a shifter," he began tiredly, eyes still on the ground. "It was formed to protect humans from rogue shifters or those that have lost all humanity."

Laxus remained silent, digesting the information.

"Twelve years ago, someone approached the current leader and asked him to attack shifters for no reason. When our leader, Chief Byro, refused, the man said that he will be back and that when that time comes, we should have a better answer for him."

Laxus still didn't say anything, curious as to where the story would go.

"Chief Byro didn't take it seriously and the man never came back. At least not until a year ago. The man came to see him again last year, and asked him to do the same thing. He still refused and the man killed him in front of all of us; clawed his heart out from his chest." The prisoner shuddered at the memory.

"That man threatened to kill our families if we don't do what he says. Some hunters got angry and started attacking him but he killed them all like they were nothing."

"Anyone who would quit will be killed with his family. If you fail a mission, you and your family will die. Traitors like me will be executed." The hunter finally looked up. "The man- he was called Mard Geer."

"Mard Geer?" Just saying the name gave a chill on Laxus' spine. He had no idea who that was but he had a terrible feeling about the man.

The hunter tilted his head as if to say he had no idea. "Nobody knows where he came from and what he is. But he has a master. I don't know for sure what they are trying to achieve with these attacks, but I do know Mard Geer is one sick monster and whoever he works for is an even worse monster." The silence that followed was uncomfortable and Laxus broke it after several moments.

"Why did you stay behind?"

The hunter looked confused for a moment so Laxus elaborated. "After attacking the village, why did you stay behind?"

"Ah." He looked at the dragon master and Laxus was taken aback at how lifeless his eyes were. "I was hoping to be killed."

* * *

When Natsu entered Makarov's office later that evening after spending time with Lucy, tension was hovering in the air. Makarov was already seated behind his desk. Across him, there was Ivan and Laxus.

"You called for me?" Natsu asked uncertainly.

Makarov nodded, gesturing to the unoccupied chair beside Laxus. "Have a seat, Natsu."

His feet moved hastily, wanting to know the subject of the meeting that had caused such tension.

"Laxus had already talked to the prisoner," Makarov began as soon as Natsu had settled on his seat. "He will tell us the information he had acquired. Go ahead, Laxus."

With a nod, the lightning dragon master narrated everything that the hunter had confessed. Natsu was close-mouthed the whole time, so were the rest.

"He said the man's name was Mard Geer," Laxus ended his report.

 _Mard Geer._ Why did the name sound so familiar? His brows furrowed trying to remember where he heard that name from.

 _Mard Geer Tartaros_. Igneel spoke in his mind after so many days of being silent. This startled him.

 _Igneel! So now you decide to talk?_

 _I will talk when it concerns the safety of our mate._

 _What do you mean the safety of Lucy? What does she have to do with this?_

 _Focus human! The hunter was talking about Mard Geer Tartaros of the Tartaros clan. The same clan we finished off sixty years ago!_

Natsu froze, his eyes growing wide at Igneel's words. "Tartaros…"

"Tartaros?" Makarov asked in bafflement. "The human clan who was said to have been consumed by a demon they tried to summon through black magic?"

Ivan looked horrified. "That clan? But they disappeared sixty years ago!"

"Hold up, what the hell is Tartaros?" Laxus interrupted, unable to follow the conversation.

"Tartaros was a prominent human clan a hundred years ago. But they got immersed in black magic and attempted to summon a demon. They managed to call forth a powerful one. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough power to control it and ended up being consumed by it. They just suddenly disappeared after."

Natsu shook his head. "They didn't- I killed them," he said, stringently, observing the shocked expression on their faces. "I had to kill them."

 _Tell them._ Igneel said in his mind.

Natsu took a deep breath. "Remember the plague of Crocus sixty years ago?"

Makarov nodded. "It was when the people of Crocus experienced mysterious deaths, shifter or human alike. It was a dark time."

"The cause of death was labelled to be some mysterious sickness but that's not true. The Tartaros clan were behind those deaths. When they were consumed by the demon, their souls were corrupted. The demon used their bodies as vessels to consume more souls." He paused, trying to organize his next words. "When I heard about it, Igneel convinced me to check it out. I went to their home one night and there I caught the Tartaros clan doing a ritual to steal souls from people nearby. I killed the demon, but killing it meant killing the whole clan who were only alive because of the demon's power."

"I always felt something was off about that so-called epidemia," Ivan mused.

"You killed the whole clan you say?" Makarov murmured looking pensive. "If Mard Geer is a part of Tartaros, could it be that he survived?"

"I'm pretty sure I killed him," Natsu glowered. "He was the demon's main vessel after all."

"But if he's dead, then someone else is posing as him?" Laxus was very much puzzled now.

"Since we haven't seen the man the hunter was talking about, it is possible that someone is merely using his name." Ivan concluded.

Natsu mulled over other possibilities. "That, or…. Someone resurrected him from the dead." His statement caused the three other men to suck in their breaths.

"That's absurd!" Ivan exclaimed incredulously. "For someone to use forbidden magic of such level…"

"It is highly unlikely, but remains a possibility," Natsu pointed out. "We'll just have to ask the hunter for a description of that man. Did you keep him alive?"

"I promised him a swift death but yeah, he's still alive," Laxus answered.

"Are you sure you're going to kill him without letting my mate know? I have a feeling she won't like it."

Judging by Laxus' nervous gulp, Natsu knew he hit the bulls eye on that one.

* * *

"Are you going to kill me now?" the hunter asked when Natsu faced the prison cell he was in.

"No, he has some questions for you," Laxus pointed his thumb to Natsu.

The hunter turned his head to the pink-haired guy 's direction but didn't say anything.

"The man you called Mard Geer, I want you to describe him," Natsu ordered, a nervous feeling burning at his stomach. He was scared of hearing the answer.

"Eh?" The hunter drawled out lazily. He looked up the ceiling as he tried to recall Mard Geer's appearance. "Long black hair, sharp black eyes, and he reeks of death." He wrinkled his nose. "When I see him, I feel like I'm surrounded by death. Like the feeling I get when I'm in a graveyard. It's hard to describe."

 _He doesn't have to. His description is enough to confirm._ Igneel spoke in his mind.

Natsu clenched his fist tightly. He understood perfectly what the hunter was saying- that was how he felt when he faced Mard Geer. That was the answer he was dreading to hear.

Whether by survival, or resurrection, one thing was for sure, Mard Geer was a demon and he was out there somewhere, ready to cause trouble anytime.

He walked out of the cell with Laxus on his trail. "Well?"

Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose distraughtly. "Sounds like Mard Geer is alive."

"That can't be good," Laxus remarked just as troubled.

* * *

When Lucy was informed of the situation, she calmly took everything in, which impressed Natsu.

When Laxus informed her of the hunter's wish, she vehemently denied, like Natsu had predicted.

"I promised him a painless death in exchange for the information," Laxus tried to explain.

"I don't care," she huffed, arms crossed below her breasts. "We will not kill him, nor will we kill any other hunter unless necessary. If their families are indeed being threatened and they are only forced to kill, the best punishment will be to let them live while carrying the burden of guilt for all of the innocent lives that they took. The souls of the innocent will forever haunt them. Death is an easy escape. Why do you think that hunter wanted to die so much?"

"Wow, when you put it that way…" Laxus conceded, nodding to himself. "It sounds so cruel."

Natsu had to agree.

"As for the hunters, which nearby towns had not been attacked yet?"

Makarov glanced at the map he made of the recent attacks. "Caitshelter is the only one."

"That's probably their next target," Lucy said thoughtfully. "Gramps, I think you should give their alpha a call to warn them. Caitshelter is a small pack which mostly consist of elders, they'd be wiped out easily. We also need to send some help."

"I'll go," Laxus volunteered quickly. "I'll bring my team with me." He turned to Makarov for permission and the old man nodded his consent.

"We need to track down the hunters' hideout," she continued.

"We've been doing that already but to no avail," Ivan said with a shake of his head. "I've even sent my best trackers."

Lucy grinned confidently. "No worries, I got a plan and that involves using the prisoner for it to work."

Natsu could only watch as his mate took control of everything like it was the most natural thing to do. His heart welled with pride, and even Igneel was yapping In his mind about how perfect their mate was. She was born an alpha female, a queen, his other half, but that side of her remained dormant until they met. Seeing this side of her was surprising but damn was she sexy when she acted like this. He'll be enjoying seeing different sides of her, that's for sure.

* * *

xxx

 _Note: A lot happening here dontcha think? So, was Mard Geer resurrected or did he survive the battle between him and Natsu? What do you think is Mard Geer's goal? And who's his master? Any guesses? Ho ho ho. Leaving you with this chapter before I'm off to vacay. Show me some love by leaving a review or I'll be really sad and depressed._

 _Thanks for reading! Reviews are loved!_


	11. Chapter 10

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Ten**_

 _Dedicated to Goldenfireflower_

The day after Natsu first picked Lucy up from school, gossip of her dating an older hot guy had spread through the school like wildfire. Gossips never really bothered her and she had always ignored them, but there was no escaping Levy and Juvia as they bombarded her with questions while waiting for homeroom.

"Geez, calm down," she told her friends. "We've only gone out once and it was more like a friendly date. I'll be sure to let you know when things get serious." She left the details out, not quite sure if both girls knew about the supernatural world. She was forbidden to tell them and they never showed any sign of knowledge about them from the years they spent together.

"Fine, but if your brother have any more hot friends, you should introduce us," Levy said with a playful pout. "And you better let us know all the details when you two kiss."

Lucy's face turned red with embarrassment, making both girls laugh. Thankfully, she was saved by the teacher coming in.

After that, days passed by without incident for her. Natsu had continued picking her up from school, and they would drop by for ice cream or cake and coffee somewhere. She found out that spending time with him was as natural as breathing. He didn't rush things and she was grateful for that. In fact, they look like two people getting to know each other- which they were- save for the occasional display of affection. She had told him about her parents, about the fire and the people who murdered them, and he listened, not saying anything, just holding her hand. He in turn, told her about his life, how he was left in front of a wealthy couple's doorstep, how he never had the chance to meet his real parents, how he had to travel alone constantly, and how happy he was to find her because he finally had someone to create memories with. She was moved to tears, realizing just how lonely his life was before they met.

On Saturday morning, Laxus had to travel to Caitshelter to help their warriors train in case of an attack. Laxus initially planned to just bring his team, but Lucy insisted that he should bring more men. Makarov and Ivan was also scheduled to go to Crocus to meet up with fellow elders and leaders to discuss their move against the hunters. They brought guards with them as well.

All three were reluctant to leave her with just Natsu and Loke in the house since her other guards Kageyama, Wakaba and Warren were married men and lived at the west village with their families. It took a lot of convincing before the three overprotective Dreyar men finally gave in, each of them yelling threats to Loke and Natsu about castration if they ever defiled her or something like that.

As she watched them getting ready to go, there was this bad feeling in her stomach again, the same one that she had when the hunters attacked in Magnolia. She murmured a few words under her breath before blowing an invisible dust from her palms.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked teasingly but he quickly got serious upon noticing the agitated look on her face. "What's the matter?"

"Something's not right," she mumbled. "This feeling, it's the same I had when the hunters attacked. I know that something is wrong, but I can't exactly point it out."

"If you feel this anxious, it's probably important," he said with a sigh, pulling her into the house. "But don't worry about them. Perkunas will protect them. And they are all strong shifters."

She was surprised at first that he knew the name of Laxus' dragon, but then she remembered that her mate was the king of all dragons. They reached the living room and sat beside each other on the couch.

"So… how many shifter village does Magnolia have?" Natsu asked curiously.

She gazed at him, puzzled by the random question but answered him nonetheless. "Just two, one in the north, one in the west. The north village was the one that was attacked last week. It is smaller compared to the west."

"What exactly is Makarov's role in the shifter's community?"

"Makarov? Hmm, let's see… He's the oldest shifter in the city. They respect him because of the knowledge he possess. He's kinda like a wise elder? The Dreyar family had been helping them for a long time."

"Who's the alpha then?" Natsu thought for sure that it was Makarov, or maybe Ivan.

She shook her head earnestly. "The shifters here, they're not officially a pack. They are people that Makarov had helped over the years. Makarov had a huge land in the west and he used that to build houses for them to live in. The numbers continued to grow until such time that the west village couldn't take in any more shifters. Luckily, my parents had a piece of land in the North, so I offered it for them to build another village. While they are not a pack, they are governed by rules implemented by Makarov."

"Oh, now I get it," Natsu said with a slow nod of his head. "Do you know how many shifters there are in the west?"

Lucy paused, mentally counting. "68 plus the 12 survivors from the north so 80 in total."

"Out of 80, how many warriors are there?"

"45 including women."

"You have female warriors?" he asked, impressed.

She smirked smugly. "Yeah, I'm one of them. I've been training with Laxus since five years old. I'll let you know I can win against shifters in their animal form without using my fire power."

The human part of him was proud to have such a strong mate. The dragon in him however, was not pleased. Igneel let out a roar in his head at the thought of his mate fighting and hurting herself. Between Mard Geer being alive, the situation with the hunters, and the presence of an evil mastermind, Igneel had been on edge for the past days. Natsu had to rub his temple to sooth the headache.

"Are you okay?" she asked, voice laced with concern. "You look pained for a second."

He smiled ruefully. "I'm fine, Igneel just blew a fuse for a while. He doesn't like the thought of you in the battlefield."

She frowned, a stubborn look on her face. "If there's going to be a war, I will fight. I will protect everyone that is important to me."

Natsu winced as Igneel roared in disapproval once again. His dragon was fuming now, scratching at the surface of his mind, wanting to take over.

Lucy gasped when she saw his eyes flicker from black to blood red, hands clenched into fists, and his jaw rigid, a sure sign that his dragon was fighting against him to take over. She had to calm him down before the human side would lose control. Physical contact with the mate was one way to calm a shifter. Shooting them with tranquilizers was another. Beating their ass out until they submit was the last option. Lucy could never do the last two. Number one was the easiest. Without even thinking, she quickly moved to straddle his lap, trapping his face with both of her hands and resting her forehead against his.

"Hey, it's okay," she whispered gently, addressing the dragon that was about to go on a rampage. "Calm down. Nobody's going to hurt me. Your flames have always protected me. You have always been protecting me, Igneel." She felt him relaxed at her touch as the dragon's anger subsided and Igneel retreated at the back of his mind once more.

Natsu blinked, glancing up at her in surprise. His eyes had returned to its original black color.

"Thanks," he mumbled, closing his eyes for a few seconds and breathing in her scent deeply. "Ever since we met you, Igneel's been worked up. And with all that's happening…" He opened his eyes and suddenly froze. Then a slow mischievous smirk started to shape his lips as he met her eyes. "By the way, I really like this position. We should do this more often."

Realizing that she was still on his lap, her eyes grew wide and she carelessly jumped off, causing her to fall and land on her butt on the carpeted floor with a loud OOOF followed by a long OWWW.

He burst out laughing and she threw a pillow to his face in annoyance. Why oh why did she always end up in embarrassing situations with him?

* * *

When evening came, Lucy got a call from Laxus, saying that a group of hunters ambushed them but was easily defeated before he could even warm up. After five minutes of assuring her that nobody was hurt and that there was nothing to worry about, Lucy finally stopped fussing over it, but not before leaving them with the threat of marching over where they were if they didn't call her everyday, to which Laxus answered with a "yes mam!" She could imagine her brother doing a salute while saying that.

After the call, Lucy decided to invite the dragon masters over for dinner. She sent a message to Sting, Rogue and Wendy while she asked Natsu to contact Gajeel since she didn't have his number. Sting and Rogue were more than happy with the invitation and Wendy had asked if she should bring something to which she replied that there was no need. After informing Gajeel, Natsu sulked in the living room with Loke because she kicked them both out of the kitchen. She made chicken parmesan pasta with garlic bread and breaded pork cutlets with mashed potato and gravy.

By the time she was done, Wendy and the boys were gathered in the living room, playing games while waiting for dinner to be served. She joined them in the living room as Virgo prepared the table. It was Natsu and Gajeel's turn to play as the rest watched.

"Hey guys," she greeted cheerfully. "Thanks for coming over at such a short notice."

"Thanks for inviting us," Wendy said in her soft voice. Wendy Marvell was a very soft-spoken and modest girl. She looked so cute that you wouldn't expect her to be the sky dragon master.

"You know that we never say no to free food, especially when you're making it," Sting said, flashing her a boyish grin.

Beside him, Rogue snorted. "We? More like you."

"So you don't like the food Lucy makes?" Sting challenged.

"I didn't say that!" Rogue protested.

"Oi Natsu, I told you to watch my back!"

"Who made you leader?!"

"Game over, our turn now." Loke butted in.

Lucy smiled, shaking her head at their childish antics. "Wendy, would you like to help me frost the cookies?"

The younger girl perked up, nodding. She got up and followed Lucy to the kitchen. When Lucy called out that dinner was ready five minutes later, everyone raced to the dining room, almost drooling at the sight and aroma of all the food.

Lucy watched in amusement as the men- her mate being one of them- piled up food on their plates like starved animals, singing praises for her at the same time. The appetite of shifters never fail to amaze her, despite having lived with them for years.

Wendy and her went last, after everyone had their plates full. There was plenty of food so there was no need to rush. She made sure of that, knowing very well how huge their appetites were.

"Woah, everything's delicious!" Natsu exclaimed after the first few bites.

"That's Lucy for you," Rogue said, stuffing his mouth with a forkful of pasta.

Sting, Loke and Gajeel could only nod, their mouths so full they would almost burst.

"By the way Wendy, I heard you'll be training with Porlyusica," Lucy talked to the girl on her left who was quietly eating.

"Yes, she will be helping me with my affinity for healing," Wendy said with a polite smile.

"Porlyusica as in Porlyusica the witch?" Sting buzzed, his eyes round in disbelief. Both Lucy and Wendy nodded.

Rogue's brows shot up in surprise. "Doesn't she hate everyone?"

"Yeah, she keeps to herself and doesn't socialize. Plus she always has this irritated look on her face." Sting added, trying to mimic Porlyusica's expression.

"Who's Porlyusica?" Natsu piped in, looking interested.

"A witch," Lucy responded. "She's an old friend of Makarov."

"A witch living in the city? That's new." Gajeel joined the conversation as well. "Don't most witches prefer a life away from civilization?"

"She may live in a city but her house is in the middle of the woods," Sting explained. "Like I said, she hates people."

"She's not that bad…" Wendy's words faded unsurely. "I think."

"She creeps me out," Loke shuddered and Sting quickly seconded the motion.

Noticing the scared look on Wendy's face, Lucy scolded the three. "Stop scaring the poor girl. Don't listen to them, Wendy. She'll grind you then boil you then fry you during training, but you'll get to used to it."

"Not helping Lucy," Natsu told his mate as Wendy's face had gotten paler.

Lucy giggled apologetically. "Sorry, I can't help it. But seriously, the three months of training I had with her wasn't easy. But it was worth it."

"You trained with her before?" Wendy was interested. "You have a healing affinity too?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, but I have a slight affinity for nature, because of Natsu I guess." She shot her mate a grateful smile. "Makarov asked Porlyusica train me but I can only do limited spells, mostly for healing and protection. I was eleven years old back then and she especially hates children. Old witch gave me a hard time for six months but that's just how she is."

"Is that what you were doing this morning for the men who left?" Natsu asked. Lucy nodded.

"Cool, which means we'll have two healers in our flight by the time Wendy finishes her training," Sting said looking proud.

"Flight?" Lucy asked in puzzlement.

Everyone went silent, eyes flying to Natsu. He cleared his throat. "It's similar to a shifters' pack."

"Oh," Lucy mouthed. "You'll need to tell me more about it some time."

"Sure but for now, I'm ready for dessert." He grinned at her excitedly.

"Alright, time for dessert guys!"

* * *

xxx

 _Note: Surprise! Would anyone believe I wrote this during the plane ride? It's convenient that I use my phone to type my stories. Yes, I write all my stories using just my phone and no laptop. Ideas randomly pop out so whenever it would, I'd just take out my phone and type (I have another phone for calls and messages. This one's for games and typing)._ _ **The next few chapters would be semi-fillers before things get serious.**_

 _Also, I installed the app. Is any of you using it? I'm still not sure how good it is, haven't really explored it yet._

 _Anyways, make sure to_ _ **leave me a review**_ _. And leave a name so I can dedicate my next chapter to you. I'm trying to update as much as I can while I still have lots of free time. Thanks for the continued support!_


	12. Chapter 11

**The Dragon and** His **Girl**

 _ **Chapter** **Eleven**_

 _Dedicated to Lizzy7258_

After dinner, the boys moved to the living room again, having a couple of beers while watching some football game. Lucy stayed in the kitchen to bake apple pie and pizza with Wendy as her assistant. The younger girl was enthusiastic to learn and Lucy was more than happy to teach her.

"Natsu seems like a nice guy," Wendy commented as they were making pizza, observing how Lucy was brushing the sauce all over the dough.

"He is," Lucy agreed fondly, not stopping what she was doing.

"You like him?"

Lucy paused. "He's my mate so I'm supposed to like him right? But I guess I can say that even if we weren't, I'd probably still like him. Everything about him is just so vibrant, even his hair."

Wendy giggled at the same time Lucy did.

"There, you can start putting the cheese. Make sure to spread it all over equally. Then we can add the pepperoni, ham, bacon and then more cheese."

Wendy did as she was instructed, thoroughly enjoying what she was doing. After the first dough was covered with cheese and toppings, they did the same to the second and third one.

"Okay, let's start the apple pie while waiting for the pizza to be done," Lucy said when all three trays were inside the oven. "The apples are in the fridge. Can you take them out and peel them? I'll work on the crust."

"Sure," Wendy said, opening the fridge. She took out a pack of apples that had twelve pieces in it. She took it to the sink and rinsed each apple before taking out a knife to start removing the skin.

"I smell something good," Natsu's voice came from the doorway. He was grinning, eyes on her.

Lucy looked surprised. "You guys finished drinking already?"

"Nah, I'm here to grab more beers." He opened the fridge where all the beverages were stored. "Sting and Gajeel have turned it into a drinking match."

"Well, tell them not to drink too much so they'd still have space for some pizza. It will be done in 45 minutes."

"I will." With the bottles in his arms, he walked back to the living room.

"Do dragons get drunk?" Lucy wondered. She had never seen Laxus drunk before.

Wendy nodded. "Yes but it'll probably take a few barrels before the alcohol affects them."

"Thought so." She snapped her fingers as if remembering something. "I need to bring the prisoner his dinner." She quickly grabbed a bento box and placed the leftover food they had plus two bottles of water. "Do you mind watching over the pizza? I won't be long."

Wendy shook her head and Lucy flashed her a grateful smile. "Be right back."

* * *

The chamber was dim at night, with only a few lamps turned on. Right now, they only had one, and that was the hunter she captured. Lucy passed by the empty cells, her footsteps echoing in the silence of the chamber. When she reached the last cell, she saw the occupant sitting in the dark corner. He was no longer chained but he wasn't moving either, just watching her with a blank stare.

Grabbing the keys on her pocket, she opened the small portion on the bottom of the thick metal bars where the tray could be passed through before locking it again.

"Here's your dinner," she said in a friendly tone. "I made that myself so I hope you like it."

He must've been startled by her attitude because he blinked several times before his eyes went to the tray. She watched as he sniffed, taking in the delicious aroma of the food in front of him before his stomach growled loudly.

"Go on," she coaxed. "You need to eat. It's not poisoned."

"Why?" he croaked out. "Why are you being nice?"

"Because we'll be needing your help soon."

He sneered. "What makes you think I'll help you?"

"Because we have a common enemy. I hope you enjoy your meal… what's your name?"

Silence.

She sighed, turning to walk away but stopped when he grumbled. "Dan Straight."

Lucy gave a bright smile. "Well then, enjoy your dinner Dan." She walked away, leaving behind the flabbergasted hunter, who- unknown to her- had felt like his heart was hit by an arrow.

* * *

Lucy's mate was a ten year old boy trapped in a 21 year old's body with the age of a hundred years old. That was the conclusion she had come up with as she observed Natsu whose eyes were glued to the screen, while watching How To Train Your Dragon the movie. Around her, Loke and the rest of the dragon hosts were just as engrossed. She laughed in her mind, what a bunch of kids.

An hour after she went to the chamber, they had all gathered in the living room with the pizza to watch a movie. Natsu had chosen How To Train Your Dragon because the title had the word dragon in it, and shockingly, none of them had watched it yet, including Wendy. They loved the movie so much that they continued to watch its part two. However, each of them had fallen asleep sometime during the second movie.

Lucy woke up in Natsu's arms. They were both lying down on one couch, his arms wrapped tightly around her to prevent her from falling. Carefully removing his arm from her waist, she silently stood up. Natsu made a sound of disapproval but didn't wake up. He looked so cute.

Her eyes scanned the room. Wendy was curled in one couch, Sting and Rogue were sprawled on opposite sides of the long couch, Loke was on the carpet, and Gajeel… he was sleeping with half his body on the couch, the other half- from head to waist- on the floor. How he was able to sleep in that position, the gods only know. Three empty trays of pizza were on the table. There were also more than twenty bottles of beer scattered. Despite the mess, she had a fun night. She had never eaten so much in her entire life, but it was nothing compared to her companions' appetite. They have bottomless pits for their stomachs.

Lucy quietly went to her room to take a quick shower. She didn't bother to blow-dry her hair, opting to tie it in a wet bun instead. When she went out of her room, Natsu was waiting for her outside.

"Good morning," he greeted, looking genuinely happy at the sight of her.

"Good morning," she greeted back with a shy smile of her own. "Were you waiting for me?"

He scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "Yeah. Igneel and I panicked when we woke up and you weren't there. Igneel is kinda upset that you left our side without letting us know."

"I'm sorry I didn't wake you up " she said apologetically. "You looked so cute sleeping and I didn't want to disturb you."

 _Mate thinks we're cute!_ His dragon was stomping his feet happily in circles.

Natsu laughed, earning him a blush from his mate. "I believe you made Igneel very happy when you called us cute."

"Only when you're asleep!" Lucy was quick to deny, but her very red cheeks said otherwise.r

 _Mate is shy. Very cute._

"Igneel says you're very cute, and I wholeheartedly agree," Natsu relayed his dragon's message to her.

"Stop saying embarrassing things!" Lucy cupped her burning cheeks, ready to run. "I need to clean up the mess. Bye."

Natsu's hand caught her wrist before she could make her escape, easily pulling her in his arms. "The guys and I already handled it."

This surprised her, and she looked up at him. "Eh? Really? Thanks!"

"Anything for you Lucy," he replied with a smile that made her heart stop for a second before beating again at twice the normal rate.

Natsu Dragneel was not only dangerous to her sanity, but very, very bad for her heart as well.

* * *

"Morning guys," Lucy chirped. "Thanks for the clean up."

There was a successive greeting of good mornings from her friends as she and Natsu joined them in the dining hall. They all had mugs of hot chocolate, and there was one waiting for her on her seat, and another for Natsu, which she assumed Virgo had made. When she glanced at the clock on the wall, it read 9:22 am.

"Who's up for a swim in the pool?" Loke asked. He was answered by a chorus of 'Me!'

"But we didn't bring any swim clothes," Rogue said suddenly.

"Don't worry, we have some spare ones we keep for our guests," Lucy responded airily, taking a sip of the hot chocolate, enjoying the warmth it provided.

"Cool!" Sting grinned happily. "Will you make us lunch too?"

Lucy shrugged. "Sure."

"Hell yeah!"

"I'll invite Juvia and Levy as well." Lucy said as she took out her phone from her pocket to send her friends a message.

"More girls, more fun. Gihihihi."

"I didn't know you were into that, Gajeel," Natsu jived.

"W-WHAT? What nonsense are you talking about?"

* * *

xxx

 _Note: You all have an idea on what's to come, yeah? Who's excited?! XD Sorry for the filler chapters, there'd be one more before enemies start showing up. I just need to establish Lucy 's and the dragon host's relationship. I'm having a hard time keeping this rated T especially with what I have planned. I guess I'll save the more mature scenes for another story. lol_

 _Thanks for reading. Till the next! Reviews are loved so leave me one._

 _And check out_ _ **Falling for the Bad Boy**_ _too!_


	13. Chapter 12

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Twelve**_

 _Dedicated to MirrorFlame_

Natsu had been living for almost a hundred years but this was the first time he had ever felt alive. It was mostly thanks to his mate. He had found her in the most unexpected moment, and she surely made him wait for a very long time, but it was all worth it. The instant happiness he felt when he saw her was indescribable. Now he really owed Gajeel one. His friend was the one who invited him to visit. If not for him, Natsu would still be searching.

He was sitting on the edge of the pool, his legs submerged in the water. In front of him, Sting did a somersault with a huge splash. This was another thing he was thankful for. He was able to make new friends. Not just any friend, but fellow dragon masters. They were family, the same way their dragons were.

He was watching Sting and Gajeel play around when he saw Lucy from his peripheral vision. Turning his head to call them over, his jaw dropped from the sight. His mate was sizzling hot, donned in a two-piece bikini that reminded him of watermelons. He could see that Lucy was well-endowed with her clothes on, but he absolutely wasn't expecting that she was this gifted underneath, and the bikini she was wearing left almost nothing to a man's imagination. He suddenly felt very hot, and Igneel wasn't making things easier as his dragon was practically breathing out fire in his mind nonstop.

The rest of the men in the pool made strangled noises in their throats as they stared at his mate but one growl from him had them turning their heads to look everywhere but her. His eyes never left her as she walked to where he was sitting, with Wendy beside her. The younger girl was wearing a cute two piece swimsuit.

He stood up and grabbed Lucy by the waist. This caught her off guard; a scream escaped her mouth when he lifted her into the air and jumped into the pool. They fell together with a loud splash.

"Natsu!"

He merely laughed and swam away from her. There was another splash when Sting and Rogue threw Wendy into the pool.

"We'll get you for this!" Lucy yelled in playful anger. "You better watch your backs."

Suddenly, Gajeel stiffened, sniffing the air and looking around, which caused everyone to be alert.

"What's wrong Gajeel?" Rogue asked, his stance ready for a fight.

"I don't know, Metalicana is antsy," Gajeel looked bewildered as well. Natsu was about to worry when suddenly, a loud voice broke out.

"LU-CHAN!" Two girls in swimsuits came in sight. Lucy happily smiled, swiftly getting out of the pool to greet her friends.

"Levy, Juvia, I'm glad you made it."

Levy was grinning teasingly. "Of course we'd go. We wouldn't want to miss the chance of meeting your lover boy. Right Juvia?"

Juvia nodded excitedly. "Levy is right. Juvia is curious."

"So which one is he? I'm guessing that hottie with the pink hair?"

"Sshhh, yeah," Lucy mumbled with a blush.

Behind her, Natsu snorted. His mate was forgetting that they had enhanced hearing and no matter how much they whisper, everyone could clearly hear what they were saying. Beside him, Gajeel was staring at the petite girl. He smirked. Someone had a crush. After the girls gossiped for a while, they finally headed to where the rest of them were. Lucy smiled at him.

"Hey, these are my friends Levy and Juvia," she introduced, pointing at the petite girl first then the taller one.

He smiled charmingly. "I'm Natsu, Lucy's boyfriend. Nice to meet you."

"I definitely approve." Levy turned to Lucy with a thumbs up sign.

"Juvia approves too!"

"Thank you." Natsu grinned gratefully. Getting her friends' approval was definitely a bonus. "Ladies, this is my friend Gajeel," he said, putting an arm over Gajeel's shoulder.

Both girls looked intimidated at first, but said hello politely nonetheless. Natsu couldn't blame them, his friend looked very dangerous if you didn't know him.

Natsu elbowed the other guy who was refusing to look at the girls. "C'mon say hi."

Gajeel sighed, looking up at the girls. "Fine, I'm Gaj-" His next words were forgotten as his eyes met Levy's. The petite girl was just as frozen as him.

Natsu moved away, understanding the situation. Lucy's eyes were wide with excitement. Juvia was looking from Levy to Gajeel with a puzzled expression. The rest were smiling knowingly.

Juvia was about to ask questions, causing Lucy to panic. Her body moved on reflex, pushing the other girl into the pool to distract her. Juvia's shrill scream snapped Levy and Gajeel from their trance. Confused, Levy nervously ran to hide herself behind Lucy, causing a flash of hurt to cross Gajeel's face.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," was the muffled reply. "I feel weird about him."

"He's a great guy if you get to know him," Lucy assured her friend. "Time to swim!" She leaped into the pool where Natsu was standing, wrapping her arms around his neck with a loud laugh while his arms encircled her waist for balance.

"Come on Levy!" Juvia called. She was floating on her back with Wendy.

"Okay! Here I go!" Levy said, jumping into the pool. She tried to reach the bottom with her feet but was surprised when it was deeper than she expected. She was struggling to keep herself afloat when she felt an arm around her. Turning to her savior, she blushed when she saw it was Gajeel. He was so close to her that she was afraid he'd feel how her heart was beating rapidly.

"T-thanks," she sputtered, but she didn't move away. She couldn't move away even if she tried to, with how securely he was holding her.

"You looked like a shrimp drowning," he jested with a blank face.

Natsu and Lucy blanched, Sting, Rogue and Loke burst out laughing, and Wendy and Juvia gasped with round eyes when Levy's fist landed on the metal dragon master's nose before she swam away from him.

Definitely not a good start, but Lucy hoped things would get better. They were mates after all.

* * *

Weekend soon was over and it was Monday once again. Lucy yawned as she sat in homeroom class. The seat beside her was vacant because Juvia called in sick for the day. In front of her, Levy was busy texting on her phone. There was a scowl on her face.

"Are you texting Gajeel?" she asked casually, noting how her friend's face blushed a deep pink for having been caught. Lucy giggled in amusement. "Are you going on a date?"

"He's been flooding my phone with messages." The scowl on her face returned. "He says he won't stop until I allow him to pick me up."

Lucy grinned. "Just say yes. He's not that bad, really."

"Fine. I need him to stop bothering me while I'm in school, anyway."

Right then, their young, gorgeous teacher Miss Mirajane Strauss, came in with an unfamiliar male student behind her.

"Good morning class," she greeted cheerfully. "We have a new student joining us today."

"My name is Lyon Vastia. Please look upon me kindly."

There was a series of whispers from the girls about how cute he was or how manly his voice was. Lucy did a once-over. He was quite good looking- though not as handsome as her mate- and had an air of confidence around him. But that wasn't what caught her attention. There was something about him that was different, and it wasn't because he was a foreigner.

"Lyon, please take a seat beside Levy. Miss McGarden raise your hand." Levy did as she was asked.

He walked over to the seat, and their eyes briefly met. That's when things clicked. The new student was a shifter.

* * *

By the time classes ended, Lucy was more than ready to get out of school and see her mate. She had noticed that she's been missing his presence more and more.

"Let's go Levy," she called out to her friend. They walked the halls together until they reached the gates. Across the road, two expensive cars were now waiting instead of just one. Lucy hid a smile when she saw her mate and Gajeel talking to each other.

Lucy immediately grabbed Levy's arm and pulled her to where the men were standing. "Hey guys." She gave her friend a light push towards Gajeel. "Take care of Levy, will ya?"

The said dragon master grunted sure in response. Giving them privacy, Lucy turned to her own mate who was looking gorgeous as always. He held out his arms and she automatically moved closer. His arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace.

"Igneel wouldn't stop bothering me the whole day," Natsu complained like a child. "He wouldn't shut up about how he wanted to see you. I kept telling him you were in school and he told me I should go to school too so we could be with you all the time."

She laughed. Igneel was a funny one. "Aren't you too old for high school?"

"That's what I told him," Natsu said with a laugh of his own. "By the way, Makarov and Ivan are back."

"Finally!" She exclaimed with joy. She turned to the couple behind her to say her goodbye. They were facing each other, and was doing what looked like a glaring contest. It was a very awkward atmosphere. "We'll go ahead guys. Bye. Have fun you two- er- whatever you're doing."

The two didn't even acknowledge her. She sighed, turning to her mate. "Think they'll be okay?"

"Gajeel won't hurt her," Natsu promised, pulling her into the car.

"It's not Levy I'm worried about." She deadpanned.

Natsu laughed, remembering how the small girl socked his friend in the face. "Gajeel is a dragon, he can handle it." Lucy giggled at the thought of Levy beating up Gajeel who was almost twice as huge as she was.

"Tell me honestly," Lucy said on the way home. "The car was your idea right?"

Natsu grinned. "You can tell? He asked me for advice so I helped him out a bit."

"That's nice of you," she praised.

"I owed him one," he said with a shrug. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have met you. I have you now, so I'll help him get his mate in return."

"I think they're perfect for each other."

"Not as perfect as us."

Lucy smiled blithely but did not say anything more.

When they got home, Makarov and Ivan were playing chess in the living room. Ivan was frowning while Makarov was calm. You can tell just by their expressions who was winning and who was losing. As far as Lucy remembered, Makarov had always won their games of chess.

"Hi Gramps. Hi Pops." Lucy gave each man a brief hug. "How was the meeting?"

"Useless," Ivan scoffed. "I hate dealing with alphas."

"Gathering alpha males in one room is indeed a disaster," Makarov sighed, recalling how the leaders couldn't stop arguing with each other during the meeting. They would throw jabs at each other at every opportunity. It had gotten so bad that Makarov slammed his fist against the table, breaking it into pieces. He then declared that he would rather go home and protect his own territory than listen to a bunch of idiots argue with each other.

Lucy winced slightly. "That bad huh?"

"It's not like we need them," Ivan said nonchalantly. "More like the other way around."

"Should we proceed with my plan then?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"It sounds like the best option we have," Makarov said with a nod. "Are you sure you can handle the spell?"

"Yes."

"Very well. We can proceed whenever you're ready."

"Great! I'll talk to the prisoner tonight."

"Laxus is coming home tonight," Ivan informed her. "Let's wait for him. He would want to be there when you do it."

"Aye, aye."

* * *

xxx

 _Note: Gajeel and Levy made me LOL._

 _What do you think is Lucy planning hmm? And what is Lyon's role? Is he a friend or a foe? You'll find out more next chapter._

 _Don't forget to review. I need inspiration! DX And thanks to all who did. Also, if you have time, check my other stories._


	14. Chapter 13

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Thirteen**_

 _Dedicated to CarolineSenpai_

Lucy had been a sweet, shy girl for as long as Laxus could remember and he had known her since the day she was born. When he first saw her, the urge to protect had been instant. His dragon, Perkunas, sensed something in her that was worth protecting. His dragon practically worshipped her and while Laxus first found it uncomfortable, he got to care for Lucy like his own sister. Looking back, he finally realized why there was an instantaneous connection between them. She was the dragon king's mate. Perkunas had known all along. He had recognized the queen and yet never bothered to tell him. His damn dragon had kept him in the dark.

Dragons are protective by nature, of their family, friends, and especially mates, but above all, they are most protective of their queen. Before the curse, Perkunas explained to him that the king could choose a she-dragon to his liking to become his queen. The queen was the symbol of unity and peace, protector of the dragonettes. Unfortunately, Igneel had refused to take a queen no matter how much they tried to convince him. Until Lucy, the girl the gods themselves blessed him with.

Looking at Lucy now, as she talked to the prisoner, he was amazed at how much she had grown up. She was much more confident now, much stronger and to his chagrin, much more stubborn. She had slowly been manifesting the qualities of a queen even though she hasn't noticed it yet.

" _Damnatio Moriae_." She chanted a few more words, her hands on the hunter's temple. Laxus watched as the hunter fell down unconscious after a minute . "That should work. He won't be conscious for a few hours. Are the trackers ready?"

"Yes, they are outside waiting for orders," Makarov answered. "I'll call them in."

Lucy suddenly wobbled on her feet. Her face was pale and Laxus could see how much the spell took a toll on her. Natsu was quick to react, instantly by her side to support her before any of them could move.

Laxus was worried for Lucy, but when was he not? She was human. Humans were fragile, like glass that could easily break. No matter how strong she was, she was mortal. The powerful spell she just did should've been a piece of cake for a seasoned witch like Porlyusica, but for a human like Lucy, it took almost all of her energy. If only they had Porlyusica on their side, but the old witch refused to get involved with troublesome matters that did not concern her. For instance, Makarov had to beg her to train Lucy until she agreed but only with the condition that he would stop pestering her after. Knowing his grandfather, it would only be a matter of time before he'd start bothering her again. They had such a bizarre friendship.

"Get some rest, Lucy," Ivan ordered, though without force. "We will handle things from here. Natsu, take her to her room."

The said man nodded, lifting Lucy into his arms easily. Three trackers came in shortly after they left.

"Take this man outside the borders and follow his every move," Makarov instructed, motioning to the unconscious hunter slumped on the ground. "Once you locate their headquarters inform us immediately. Do not do anything rash." He took three necklaces with a crystal shaped pendant and gave one to each of them. "Wear this at all times. Lucy had put a spell on them to mask your scent in case they have somebody that can sniff you out but it will only last for a week."

Each tracker gratefully wore the necklace around their necks. Satisfied, Makarov dismissed them and they left, carrying with them the hunter. He turned to his son and grandson. "I have to go and meet someone. Take care of things while I'm gone. I won't be long."

The plan was in motion and all they could do was wait.

* * *

Natsu carefully put his sleeping mate down on the bed. She made a sound that was clearly of displeasure at the loss of physical contact. Smiling at how cute she looked with her brows furrowed, he slipped under the covers with her. The response was immediate- she moved closer to him, burying her face in his neck. One of her arms was draped across his chest and a leg was positioned between his. It was a truly awkward position but she let out a relaxed sigh as she slept.

Natsu pressed a kiss to her hair. He took in her scent, loving how it was mixed with his. Igneel was calm as well, just content with laying beside his mate. His dragon understood that Lucy needed to rest and was not pressuring him to want for more, afraid that it might add to her stress. The needs of their mate would always come before anyone else's, including their own.

He gently played with her hair as he let sleep take over him.

It was 8:00 am the next day when he woke up. Lucy was still sleeping peacefully beside him. He got out of bed without a sound so as not to wake her up. After changing his clothes, he went out of the bedroom and into the dining room where Makarov and Ivan were having breakfast.

"Good morning, is Lucy still asleep?" Ivan asked, a cup of coffee in one hand.

"Yes, I was thinking of calling her school to let them know she won't be coming in?"

"I already called them up," Makarov said. "She doesn't have to go to school today."

"Thanks. Mind if I use the kitchen? I'll make breakfast and bring it up to her room."

Both men shook their head. "Go ahead," Makarov murmured, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Lucy likes strawberry pancakes," Ivan hinted as he made his way to the kitchen.

He grinned gratefully. "Strawberry pancakes it is."

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes to only see darkness. Had she gone blind? The last thing she remembered was casting a spell on the hunter. Was this a consequence of the spell? No, that couldn't be right. She rubbed her eyes, blinking a few times as her eyes adjusted to the pitch black surroundings.

"Natsu?" she called out, hoping that her mate could hear her. He was always beside her. The only answer she received was silence. "Anyone? Laxus? Pops? Gramps?" she called out again, fear starting to crawl up her spine. What was happening? Her head abruptly turned when she saw something move on her peripheral vision. "Who's there?!"

She was getting desperate now. The darkness, the eerie silence, it made the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. She was all alone trapped in this nothingness.

 _Ego sum vita ex igni_

A soft, haunting voice spoke, causing her to freeze into place.

 _Incedo per ignes_

The voice echoed once more.

 _Resurgam ex cineribus_

Several other voices spoke the words repeatedly, and she had to put her palms over her ears to suppress the noise.

"Stop," she begged. Her head was starting to hurt as the voices relentless attacked her. "Enough."

"STOP!"

"Lucy! Wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open wide. Her breathing was frantic as her eyes looked wildly around her before settling on Natsu's worried face.

"Relax, it's just a dream," he murmured gently, rubbing her arm. She felt herself relax with his touch.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly, the dream somehow forgotten. She yawned loudly.

"I brought you breakfast," he explained, pointing at the tray on her bedside table. "Makarov called your school and informed them that you're sick so you can relax the whole day."

She hated missing classes, but her body felt heavy and she didn't have the energy to complain. "What time is it?"

"Half past eight," he answered, standing up to get the tray and placed it on the bed in front of her. "You need to eat. You can sleep again after."

She nodded, sitting up properly. On the tray was a plate of pancakes with sliced strawberries, drizzled with strawberry syrup and topped with whipped cream. There was also a glass of fresh orange juice. "Did Virgo make this?"

"No, I did," he said, looking bashful. "Ivan said you like strawberry pancakes s-so I made them for you."

She blinked in surprise. "Oh wow. Thanks! It's my favorite. They look delicious." She grabbed the knife and fork and took a slice. The burst of strawberry flavor in her mouth was so heavenly that she couldn't stop moaning in bliss. "Hhmm, so good."

Natsu swallowed a lump in his throat at the sight of her eating. It wasn't supposed to turn him on, but how Lucy had managed to transform such an ordinary action like eating into something so sexy was beyond him. Her eyes was closed as she chewed. The moan that left her mouth, the way her tongue darted out to lick the syrup on her lips, on the fork, was enough to drive him insane.

"This taste great Natsu," she said with a delighted smile. "I didn't know you were good in the kitchen."

 _That's not the only place I'm good at, little mate._

Natsu mentally facepalmed at his dragon's evocative response in his mind. He wisely decided to ignore Igneel and focused his attention on his mate. "I've lived alone for a long time so I had to learn."

She merely grinned at him as she took one slice after the another. After emptying her plate and glass and thanking him again for breakfast, Natsu set aside the tray.

"Do you want to sleep again?"

She shook her head, rubbing her tummy. "Too full."

"What would you like to do? TV?"

"I want to talk," she said, patting the space beside her on the bed. Natsu dutifully occupied the spot, his back leaning against the bed's headboard. She sighed comfortably. "About the mating process."

Natsu was thrown off-guard. He knew they had to talk about it one of these days, but he wasn't expecting it to be this soon. He treaded carefully. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything."

Natsu nodded hesitantly. "Okay, well, there are three steps to the mating process. The first one is establishing the connection through eye contact. We've been through that already. Next would be the marking. I would have to bite you, here," his fingers grazed the junction between her neck and shoulder to which Lucy shivered, "The last step to complete the mating would be to, uhm- be s-s-sexually- ugh- involved. During this step, I'll have to bite you again while- uh- while we're doing it, and then the coiling of our souls would happen."

"So, when is the marking done? Like, is there a specific day or time you should do it? Like when wolves do it on a full moon?"

He shook his head. While Igneel added, _I can mark you here and now._ He mentally told his dragon to shut up.

"What happens when you mark me?"

 _You'll be begging for my touch._

Natsu groaned inwardly at his dragon's words, but just the thought of Lucy with his mark excited him. His eyes turned darker, gaining a swirl of garnet. "Every supernatural being would know you're mine," he growled possessively, pressing a kiss to the spot where she would soon bear his mark.

This sent a tremble of delight all over her body. Her head moved on its own accord, exposing more of her neck to him.

"Soon," he murmured. Soon she will wear his mark for everyone to see. But first, he will have to eliminate all threats around her. Her safety was his priority.

* * *

xxx

 _To everyone who's wondering at the last part, Igneel was half in control, hence the eyes and actions. LoL._

 _So what happened to Dan? And what was the dream all about? Hohoho._

 _Thanks for reading. Reviews are loved so please leave one. Till next time!_


	15. Chapter 14

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Fourteen**_

 _Dedicated to Krishnaaaa_

 _(Because your guess was right and your comment made me laugh XD)_

 _Let's talk about sex baby_

Lucy's eyes widened when the ring tone of her phone played loudly. Beside her, Natsu blinked. "Is that your phone?"

She nodded and Igneel growled warningly. "If you know what's good for you, you're changing that… unless you wanna talk about it right now."

"I'm changing it!" she squeaked like a mice cornered by a cat, shooting up from the bed to reach for her phone on the bedside table.

 _Let's talk about you and me_

 _Let's talk about all the good things and the-_

"Hello?"

"Lucy!" It was Levy. She sounded like she had just run a marathon. Upon hearing her friend's panicked voice, she immediately tensed.

"What's wrong Levy?"

"It's Juvia," the girl on the other line explained, breathing heavily. "She's- she's gone!"

Hearing the conversation, Natsu stiffened, looking at her intently. Lucy tried to process what was just said as a wave of anxiousness fell over her. "What do you mean gone?!"

"Oh my God Lucy, he took her! Juvia's gone! What am I going to do? He just took her!" Levy was not making any sense. She was talking very fast and sounded like she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Okay Levy, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened from the start. Take deep breaths first. And when you're calm enough, explain."

Levy took several deep breaths before she began to narrate what had transpired. "We were in our usual spot this morning. We waited for you until the bell rang because we didn't know you weren't coming to school. So we were walking to the building when he popped out of nowhere and picked her up. Then he ran and I ran after him but he jumped out of the school gate. He jumped so easily like he wasn't even human! It happened so quickly I wasn't even able to scream for help. And now I'm calling you because I don't know what to do! And I didn't want to cause panic in school."

Lucy's eyes narrowed as she listened to the details. There is only one information lacking. "Who is this _he_ you're talking about?"

"He- The new student, Lyon Vastia!"

Her eyes widened. Lyon was a shifter, she figured that much. But why would he kidnap Juvia? Was he working with the enemies? Did they find out that Juvia had connections to shifters, albeit unknowingly?

"Levy, I want you to go to class and not tell anyone about what happened. Natsu and I will handle it. I'll also ask for Gajeel's help. Do not walk around school alone and be careful."

"O-okay. Sorry Lu-chan, I didn't know wo else to call. Are you alright? Are you sick, that's why you missed school?"

"Don't be silly," Lucy interrupted. "I'm glad you called me. And I'm feeling better. I had plenty of rest. We'll find Juvia, don't worry."

"Y-yeah. Call me if you find out anything?"

"I will." She disconnected the call with a click. She rubbed all tiredness from her face and turned to her mate.

Sensing her worriment, Natsu reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. "We'll find her. I'll call Gajeel and ask him to come here. Why don't you take a shower first to calm down? I'll be downstairs to talk to the Dreyars while you do."

"Yeah, thanks." Lucy mumbled wearily. She was eternally thankful that Natsu was there with her. His presence alone calmed her down, and allowed her to think about things properly. She was worried about Juvia but she felt like she was missing something. Dialing Juvia's number, she prayed somebody would pick up. When it just kept ringing, she sighed throwing the phone on her bed.

She stood up and made her way to her bathroom. Taking off her clothes and stepping into the lukewarm shower, she allowed her brain to analyze everything that was happening. It didn't make sense that Lyon would be connected with the hunters since he was a shifter himself. If he was working for Mard Geer, what would it accomplish by taking Juvia? Or did they have an enemy they weren't aware of? Or could it be…?

A few minutes later, Lucy joined the men downstairs. She raised an eyebrow questioningly when she saw them calmly chatting over a plate of brownies.

She glared accusingly at her mate. "You didn't tell them about what happened, did you?"

"I did," Natsu replied, swallowing a mouthful of brownie. "This taste good."

"Then why are you acting like you're having a tea party while my friend has most likely been kidnapped?" Lucy demanded hotly, her patience running thin.

"Take a seat and listen to what Makarov has to say." Ivan instructed, gesturing to the vacant seat beside Natsu.

"I don't have time for this-"

"LUCY." The authority rang clearly in Ivan's voice. Ivan had never used that tone on her, until now. Ashamed of her impertinent behavior, she slightly looked down and went to take the seat beside Natsu.

"That boy Lyon Vastia and his guardian Jura Neekis have requested for a meeting with me yesterday. They have asked for permission to stay in Magnolia indefinitely and assured us that they meant no harm." Makarov explained. "I've called up Jura already. It was all a misunderstanding. Lyon and Juvia will be here anytime later to tell you everything."

Lucy felt her brain spinning, going over all possibilities until she finally caught up. Groaning, she slapped a palm to her forehead. "Please tell me that what I'm thinking is not true."

There was only silence as Natsu stuffed his mouth with brownies, Ivan suddenly found the painting on the wall interesting and Makarov sipped on his second cup of coffee for the day.

* * *

"Let Juvia down you asshole! Juvia is being kidnapped! What will you do with Juvia? You won't get away with this. Lucy will kill you if you hurt Juvia."

Lyon, in a panic when she started fighting him and screaming, knocked her out with a hit to her neck.

 _Are you out of your mind?! You hurt her!_

Ignoring the protest in his mind, he ran through the woods, only stopping when he reached a decent house in the quieter part of the neighborhood. Opening the door, he was met with his guardian Jura, who glared at him.

"You're supposed to be in school," his guardian said darkly. "And who is that girl? What did you do Lyon?"

He carefully placed the girl on the couch, before facing Jura who was wearing a scary expression on his face.

"I took her. I saw her in-"

"YOU WHAT?!" The roar that thundered from his guardian was enough to scare him so much that his knees gave up and he fell on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was doing." He apologized shakily. "But I have a reason-"

"THE HELL YOU DO! WHAT REASON WOULD GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO KIDNAP AN INNOCENT GIRL?! IT'S ONLY BEEN THREE DAYS SINCE WE MOVED HERE AND YOU'RE CAUSING TROUBLE ALREADY?!"

"She's my mate," Lyon mumbled under his breath, still too scared to look at his guardian in the eye.

Jura froze, unsure if he heard correctly. "What did you say?"

"She's my mate," Lyon admitted, suddenly in a panic. "Oh God, I kidnapped my mate in front of her friend. They'll be looking for her now and she will hate me forever because I knocked her out and her family will keep her away from me."

Jura sighed, shaking his head at Lyon's idiocy. "What were you even thinking?"

"I wasn't," Lyon said sheepishly.

Jura snorted. It was just like Lyon to be so impulsive, doing things first before thinking of the consequences. "In any case, you will bring her to the Dreyars when she wakes up. You better pray Makarov doesn't kick us out. After promising not to cause any trouble, you go and kidnap the best friend of his grand daughter."

"I'm screwed." Lyon groaned banging his head on the center table, realizing the trouble he had caused. His stomach dropped when he felt his mate stirring awake on the couch. She looked around frantically as if somebody was going to attack her. When she realized there was no threat, she surveyed the whole place before her eyes landed on him.

Lyon was more than ready to hide under the table. He dreaded to see the look of disgust or hate on her face, but when their eyes met, he couldn't look away.

"Who are you?" she demanded dubiously, eyes narrowing. " _What_ are you?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me," Lyon replied, silently thankful that he didn't stutter. He was so captivated with her beauty but now wasn't the right time to act like a lovesick fool. He had to clear up this mess first.

"Why should Juvia do that?"

"Because I can tell you're not human, or at least not completely. Additionally, you're my mate."

* * *

xxx

 _Sorry GruVia fans. Don't hate me, not that I care since this is my story and I can do whatever I want with it. Lol. Peace y'all._

 _And Juvia's not 100% human? Ooohhlala. What do you think she is?_

 _By the way, Igneel is meant to act like a hormonal beast. It would've been worse if Natsu wasn't there to control him. Lol. Quick question, do you think Lucy is human? Hmmm?_

 _Don't be lazy and push that review button. Leave me some love._


	16. Chapter 15

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 _ **Chapter Fifteen**_

 _Dedicated to westerngoddess_

Juvia's ancestors from her mother's side were creatures of water but her father was a human. When she was five years old, her father went out on a business trip one night. During bedtime, her mother had suddenly panicked and asked her to stay put and not make a noise inside a hidden portion on the wall. A dangerous group of people barged in their house and forcefully took her mother with them. They were a group of evil people who wanted the blood of undines like her and her mother. The blood of an undine was rumored to heal any kind of sickness.

Her mother had always told her about their ancestors. Every night, her mother would share stories- stories that were passed down generations after generations and she would always listen eagerly. That was her favorite time. Of course, those stories also include the tragedies that their ancestors had ended up with. They were hunted for their blood which caused them to leave their original homes- the lakes, rivers and the seas- to go into hiding in the human world.

Her mother had never been found. There was not a trace of her even though her father did his very best to find her. They eventually moved to Magnolia when she started high school for a new start. That was when she met Lucy and later on Levy.

Juvia had always admired Lucy. Her blond friend had a heart of gold. She was kind- always ready to give second chances to people who wronged her-, confident with a strong fighting spirit, and protective of her friends and family. When Juvia first met Lucy, she felt a strong connection with the girl, as if she was meant to be her friend and be close to her. Juvia didn't understand it first, but as of the moment, as she stood outside the Dreyar's mansion, and Lucy opened the door looking ready to give Lyon hell with Natsu beside her, she was starting to connect the dots.

Lyon, who was standing nervously beside her had stared wide-eyed at Lucy's boyfriend then at Lucy, while Jura gasped in surprise before kneeling on one knee.

"Dragon King," Jura had declared respectfully. "And Queen."

"Accaron, no need to kneel," Natsu said with a nod at Jura. He turned to Lyon with a raised eyebrow. "Eisdrache, still as troublesome as ever."

"You're a dragon?" Lucy screeched in surprise at Lyon. "I knew you were a shifter, but wow… I didn't expect you to be a dragon. And your guardian too. Two more dragons huh. I'm Lucy, Natsu's mate." She gave Lyon a stern stare. "Don't think you're off the hook, mister."

Juvia finally understood. If Lyon and Jura were dragons, then Natsu was their king, and Lucy was Natsu's mate, which made her the queen. Still, Juvia had this feeling that there's more to Lucy than being the dragon king's mate.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Lucy sat dumbfounded, Levy had fainted and was laid on the couch, Juvia was looking down at her lap, and the men, namely Gajeel, Lyon, Jura, Natsu and Laxus were having what seemed like a semi reunion on the other side of the living room, allowing the girls to talk among themselves.

Levy stirred awake, slowly sitting up. Lucy was quick to move beside the girl. "How do you feel?"

"What happened?"

"You fainted."

"I…" Levy gasped in horror when she remembered the events that caused her to faint. Glancing to where the men were, a distance from them, with wide eyes. "That wasn't a dream, was it? They're all dragons and you-" she turned to Juvia, "are a mermaid."

"Undine," Juvia corrected hesitantly. "Juvia has undine blood because of Juvia's ancestors."

"Right," Levy nodded thoughtfully. Everything had been a shock to her. When she thought Juvia was kidnapped, she never expected to discover a whole new world because of it. Never in her whole life would she have thought that mythical creatures like dragons existed. The whole thing was crazy.

After school, Gajeel had picked her up and brought her to Lucy's place. She was surprised when she found Juvia with Lyon and another man- who she discovered later on was Lyon's guardian, Jura- sitting in the living room with Laxus, Natsu and Lucy. She was very relieved to see that Juvia was okay but also utterly confused with what was happening. When she asked an explanation for what happened, everybody had looked at each other aversely, but no one dared to speak up, until Gajeel stupidly broke the silence and decided to blurt out- again, stupidly- that they were dragons. She thought it was hysterical and had laughed like Gajeel just told the joke of the century but stopped when everyone remained silent, refusing to look at her. Juvia had stuttered that she wasn't 100% human by then. Yet, Levy still adamantly insisted that they were playing a joke on her until Lucy spoke out and confirmed it. That was when she realized that it was the truth. Lucy would never lie to her face like that. She had known the girl for ages and trusted her wholeheartedly. Everything went blank after that.

"Juvia is really sorry for hiding it from you," Juvia apologized, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Please don't be angry with Juvia."

"I'm not mad," Levy quickly answered. "If you told me before, I wouldn't have believed you anyway." The answer seemed to relieve Juvia. Levy faced the blond girl beside her. "Please tell me you're human."

Lucy wiggled her eyebrows. She gave the petite girl a reassuring smile. "Yes, yes I am. But I'm not an ordinary human. I'm Natsu's mate, just as Juvia is Lyon's."

"What's a mate?" Levy asked curiously.

"It's like a soulmate, a destined partner for life. Every dragon has one. You should ask Gajeel. He can explain it better since he's a dragon." Lucy purposely left out the detail that Levy was a dragon's mate as well. It was Gajeel's job to tell her.

"Oh. Okay." There was a slight blush at the mention of the metal dragon host's name. Lucy smiled, pleased with the development.

"I've only read about this in books you know," Levy sighed again. The shock was starting to wear off and her brain was slowly taking in everything as reality. "So, Lu-chan, you said you're human but not an ordinary one? How so?"

"Hmm, Natsu's dragon is the king of all dragons-"

"You're a queen?" Levy squealed in excitement.

"I- I guess…?" Lucy shrugged, unsurely. "But that's not what makes me extraordinary. Since Natsu is the king of the dragons and also a fire dragon, I can control fire as well." She held out her palm, allowing them to see a bright red flame surrounded it.

"Wow," Levy breathed out in awe at the revelation.

"Juvia is amazed. Juvia does not have powers like that."

"It is pretty convenient." Lucy grinned as she willed the flames to disappear. "I'm somehow glad things are out in the open now," she admitted.

"Juvia is happy she doesn't need to hide secrets from her friends anymore," the blue-haired girl agreed.

"There are still a lot of things I don't know but I'm glad I have you guys to ask," Levy added, pulling both girls in a group hug. In this unknown world, she was truly glad she had her best friends with her.

They weren't aware that five dragons had been listening to their conversation the whole time.

* * *

"The gods have chosen well," Jura stated, throwing a fond glance at their queen. "She is perfect for you."

Natsu couldn't help beaming in pride as Igneel breathed out fire in agreement inside his head. Lucy was indeed perfect- he loved every inch of her. "She is."

"Lyon and I came here because I felt a pull to this place," Jura continued seriously. He crossed his arms over his chest. "If I'm not mistaken, based on the fact that there are eight dragons in this small city right now, all dragons shall be attracted to this place because of her. Have you thought of recreating our flight? It will help us protect each other better, especially the queen."

Natsu nodded, having considered it. "Yes, but she has to accept the role first. I have yet to discuss it with her."

In the past, Natsu didn't care much about the future, although due to Igneel's insistence, he had doubled, and then tripled the inheritance he got from his wealthy adoptive parents, and purchased properties all over the world for his mate. For almost a hundred years, Natsu had done nothing but multiply his money to make sure his mate would live like a queen, and later on, after sensing her birth, searched for her. But now, with Lucy by his side and the dangers surrounding her, Natsu had started thinking about the future, without Igneel forcing him to do things.

"Lucy is turning 18 in two weeks," Laxus said pointedly. "Will you be claiming her then?"

"I intend to mark her, with her permission," was the determined reply.

"Tch. Fine, as long as she agrees," Laxus reluctantly gave in but didn't hide the scowl on his face. Despite his dragon's submission to his king Igneel, the human was much more dominant, and Laxus was clearly in overprotective brother mode. He watched as his sister stood up and made her way towards them with a bright smile. She looked genuinely happy for her friends and the turn of events. Beside her, her friends also looked happier than when they left them to talk.

"I think we need to celebrate," she declared gaily, turning to Jura and Lyon. "Why don't you join us for dinner tonight?"

Jura stole a quick glance to Natsu, who gave him a nod before answering, "We'd love to join you."

Lucy's smile got even brighter. "Great! We, girls, shall be in the kitchen should you need us."

Somewhere out there, Dan Straight continued with his life like nothing was amiss, reading a message that called for a meeting in two days.

* * *

xxx

 _I'm working again so updates will be slower. Plus I've caught the flu; my nose is stuffy and my throat hurts. Been sick for the past four days. :( Hope you like this chapter. This is the best that my sick self could do. I might edit this when I'm better before the next update._

 _Thank you for supporting this story guys! And don't forget to review. Leave me some love._


	17. Chapter 16

**The Dragon and His Girl**

 **Chapter Sixteen**

The following day, Lucy woke up from the voices in the same dream, but like last time, forgot about it as soon as she opened her eyes. Feeling sticky because she was covered in sweat, she got up and hopped in the bathroom to take a cold shower. Yet as soon as she was out, Lucy started feeling warm again. She decided to drink medicine in case she was about to run a fever. She didn't want to miss another day in school.

While going through the container where all kinds of medicine were placed, Laxus came in and saw her.

"Are you feeling ill?" was his worried question.

"Kind of, I'm gonna drink something for fever just in case," she replied casually.

Laxus touched her forehead and indeed, it felt warm. "Looks like it. If it gets worse, I will have Kageyama take you home immediately."

"Yes sir!" Lucy did a mock salute. She yelped when Laxus flicked her forehead, snorting as he walked away.

Lucy thought she was going to feel better once she got to school, but when lunch time came, she felt even more feverish. Juvia had to bring her to the clinic during their Psychology class because of it. Just like what Laxus said, when they received the call from the school nurse about Lucy's situation, Kageyama immediately brought her home.

As soon as she reached the house, Natsu was waiting for her worriedly. "Shit, you're burning up!" he exclaimed the moment he held her.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I'll just take a cold shower then rest."

She went upstairs to her room and Natsu prepared a wash cloth in a basin, soaking it on cold water and ice before going upstairs to her room. She was already in bed when he entered.

Placing the basin on her bedside table, he squeezed the water out of the wash cloth before placing it on her forehead. "Better?"

She smiled gratefully. "Yeah, thanks."

Natsu then brought his laptop to her room so he could continue working and checking his emails. Igneel was unwilling to leave her alone while she's sick and frankly, so was he. So he worked whilst taking care of her.

Two hours after, Makarov returned from his visit to the Village and checked on Lucy. Her fever had gone down and the old man was absolutely relieved.

Her fever was completely gone the next day. Even though Natsu was unwilling to let her go back to school, she insisted that she couldn't miss any more school days and wouldn't take no for an answer. Igneel had been incessantly worrying about her, saying something about her abnormal temperature lances. His dragon was most likely referring to the human sickness called a fever that his mate had just suffered from.

The moment Lucy had left for school, Ivan called him up for a meeting with Makarov and Laxus.

"I got a message from the trackers. The hunters have been called to a meeting tonight. Mard Geer will most likely be there."

Natsu clenched his fist tightly at the same time Laxus asked, "What's the plan?"

"I'll go," Natsu was quick to say. He needed to be the one to send Mard Geer back to hell. "Mard Geer is a strong demon, but I have killed him once. I can do it again."

"No doubt you can," Makarov agreed easily.

Laxus stepped forward. "I'll go as well."

"Very well, I'll send a team-"

Natsu cut off what the old man was about to say. "Laxus will be enough. And Gajeel too if he wants to tag along."

"W-What?" Ivan spluttered in incredulity, looking at the dragon king like he'd just turned into a pink unicorn.

"Our target is Mard Geer," Natsu pointed out. "I don't think the hunters will put up much of a fight. They'd grab any chance they have to break free from Mard Geer. Ivan's trackers will act as lookout while we intercept."

"Mard Geer will most likely have guards-" Ivan argued.

"That won't be a problem," Laxus butt in nonchalantly. "Honestly, I'm only tagging along to make sure he doesn't destroy the whole town."

Ivan paled. "Please do."

"It's settled then. You two will leave before sunset." Makarov stated with finality.

"What are we going to tell Lucy?" Ivan asked.

"The truth,"Natsu answered easily.

* * *

From a rooftop, a few buildings away from Lucy's school, stood two figures. One was a man, his blonde hair long enough to cover his eyes; the other a woman with long dark, dirty blonde hair. Both were watching Lucy Heartfilia from where they were.

"Somehow, I feel sad," the woman said in a sultry voice. "That girl had started to grow on me."

"Can't blame you, we've been watching her for years," the man replied. "But you know the drill."

"Of course," she quipped with a flip of her hair. "Anytime the master gives us the signal, we kill her."

He nodded. "Good. In two hours, we make our move."

* * *

xxx

 _I'm still alive! Sorry for disappearing for a while. Life happened. Anyway, very short chapter. Just had to update before leaving for work so you'll know that I haven't abandoned this story. A lot of stuff is bound to happen. Hint: the fever wasn't really a fever. Also, the enemies are slowly showing up. Any guesses who the two new characters were?_

 _Reviews are loved. Thanks everyone!_


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